Between Heroes and Monsters
by The Puppeteer's Ghost
Summary: A massacre. A conspiracy. A plot for war. Darkness and static and the End of All Things - all intertwined in the fate of a dying region and its inhabitants. Old enemies are rising again and something has stirred in Another Place. Destruction comes for mortals and gods and only a chosen few can overcome it. But first they must overcome themselves. And then there is M...
1. Commencement

_"It takes a thousand voices to tell a single story."_ _– Native American Proverb_

_Behold my creation. My brobdingnagian narrative. My sprawling tapestry of words. I call it my creation but that is inaccurate. I merely initiated it; caused its inception. I am not its architect – I am merely its scribe. It is no longer mine. The story has become transcendent as it constantly grows and develops – always adding new features, creating new characters, assimilating new genres. It has become alive: the words charged with energy, the characters given existence, the plot becoming real. Darkness emanates from the chapters as villains emerge from the shadows of death and destruction. Flashes of humour and light intersperse themselves within the dark as the tale culminates in intensity._

_Secrets are revealed. Characters are changed beyond recognition. Lives are destroyed. The mutterings of war become bellows and the balance of the world is disrupted. Humanity does battle with pokémon and the gods descend from very heavens themselves to devastate the earth._

_This is no mere story – not any more. I can scarcely conjure up a memory of what it originally was like. This tale has changed me as much as it has changed itself. I am compelled to write but I know this is beyond my control. I can control this story no more than the raincloud can affect the damage caused by flooding. I am the author but the ideas are barely my own – I just transfer them into words as best I can._

_Here are the words. Here is the story. And this is the beginning._

_This is Commencement._

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**ACT ONE: ADVENT/CONSTRUCTION**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Commencement**

* * *

Hello there!

It's so very nice to meet yYou! Welcome to thAe world of Pokémon! My OAWname is Rowan. However, everyone just calls mIe the Pokémon Professor. Before I go any furMther, is this your fGirst aIdventure? If you need advice, I'm ceArtainly capaIble of giving it.

GOThis woMrld is widely iGnhaIbited by creatureNs known aNs PokémonI. HReNre, I have a PokIéball. TouIch thSe button on thIe middlSe of the Pokéball, if you'd plSeaseI.S

WGe humaIns liveN alongsidOe PokéSmonA as friends. At timesM we play togIether, and at otMher times we wIork togMether. Some use their PoSkémon to battle and dNevelop cOloserM bondIs wiIth thMem.

WhaMt do I do? I condOuct researSch so thaNt we mey leAarn more about P9Nokémon.

NowS why don'Nt you YtellG me a little about yIouFJrseMlf.

QAll riAght, readeNr, the time haSIs come. Your very Oown NtaMle of grNanGd adMvenNture is aGAR[JbIouIt to unSfoGld. OnS your jSoIurSnMIey yMou wAill mIeet coOuntleNss PokGémoNn and pIeoApFFJSle. MI'm sSure tMhat aloIng SthSEF-e waSy yo;u IwMill discovSer manRMy thOings, Operhaps eveSn soIAmeAthKEing abSou,WEOt yourIseNlf.=R

ANNoDwS,O OgNoI SoHnA,L LlDeEaSpT RiOnYtYoO UtAhLeL DEwSToROrYYlOUdALL DEoSTfRO YYpOUoAL kLémDESTRO YoYOUnALL DESTROYYOU A LLDES TROYYOUALLDESTROYYOA LLDEST ROYYOUALLD ESTROYYOALL DESTROYYOUALL

However, everyone just calls me M.

...

...

...

...

Hello, there!

It's so very nice to meet you! I'm really sorry about that but it's just a side effect – very annoying. Who am I? Oh, you'll find out eventually. But listen to me rambling on. I'll have to get back on topic.

This is the story of…well, a lot of things, really. But mostly about an absol, his trainer, and his friends. _He got by with a little help from his friends!_ Don't you just love that song? Oh, I'm sorry; I'm going off topic again. It's an annoying habit of mine.

Anyway, it's the story of how they all came together and became friends. They went on a grand adventure. On their journey they met countless pokémon and people. They discovered many things, even about themselves. They survived many tragedies – and not without cost either. Doesn't this all sound like such a cliché?

At several points, the hardships became too much to bear. Their friends fell and their enemies seemed to accumulate. They lost all hope and even split up. But fate intervened and they were reunited once more – growing even closer in the process. They struggled bravely against a great evil and never backed down. And they won.

Wouldn't that be nice? A happy ending. Unfortunately, I have to tell you that isn't the case. In the end, their attempts were all for nothing. They failed – as I knew they would. But don't take my word for it. See for yourself. For although it's doomed to end in failure, it's a very interesting story. Just remember that nothing is quite the way it seems...

Now, go on, leap into the world of pokémon…

(-#-)

**My name is Sam Jacobs, and this is my story.**

My eyes opened of their own accord. The morning sunlight pierced the slants in the curtains on the window so that a slit of light fell across my bed. I waved my hand in front of it and watched the sunbeams dance across my moving fingers. It brought a smile to my face as I rubbed my tired eyes. I sniffed to see what Vivien was making for breakfast and…

And then I remembered. The smile on my face cracked and faltered before vanishing altogether. I ran my hands through my hair and lay still for a moment. Why couldn't I have put off remembering for a few more minutes? Why did I have to deal with this now? The questions tore through my head but I did my best to ignore them. I ignored it all: the grief, the emptiness and the disbelief that the life I had was over. I ignored it all and got out of bed for the new day. It was an important day.

Sweeping aside the covers, I trudged towards the adjoining bathroom of my small, cosy room. The room was filled with books; they were lined up on every surface and covered the walls. Vivien used to joke that they were the cheap version of wallpaper.

I splashed cold water on to my face and stared into the mirror. The tired reflection of a sixteen year-old boy stared back at me with bleary eyes and a pale face. My skin was going to be pale anyway since I lived in Sinnoh but this way I looked more like a ghost. My forehead was lined: remnants of the last few stressful months since the diagnosis. My brown hair hung limply and my blue eyes seemed somehow darker than usual. It was probably just because the bathroom was dark. I flicked the light switch a few times but nothing happened.

Giving a sigh, I stumbled back into my room towards the curtains. I pulled them open and let the morning light shine through. The window latch was old and had a tendency to stick so I had to wrestle with it for a few seconds before it opened. The window swung wide and a brisk cold breeze hit me. It was quite cold now – even for spring. The cold mountain winds hit us hard up here in Celestic Town.

After a shower and a change of clothes I made my way downstairs towards the kitchen. The house was fairly dark and none of the lights were working. I figured the power must be out. There was enough sunlight through the windows that I could easily see where I was going. Books of every type and genre lined every wall I passed. I winced as I got to the living room. Lego was strewn around the floor as a testament to Vivien's last day. She always had a childlike streak in her. I told myself I would clean it up later.

Scrambled eggs for breakfast. I barely ate them. Truthfully, I was just trying to stave off time until I had to leave. There was some mail that had been pushed through the letter box. I browsed through a bank statement and some junk mail. Finally, the time came and I heard the door open. I was sitting at the table staring down at the bank statement. I barely saw one before: even when she couldn't stand up, Vivien kept everything going. She organised the finances herself, planned out every day. It was a necessity; I looked after her every day. I left school because of it. My whole life became dependent on keeping her going. And in the end it didn't work.

A sound reached my ears: the door creaking open behind me. I heard someone shuffle inside and close the door after them. A quick glance at my watch told me it was time to go and I turned to face the visitor.

My neighbour paused as he closed the door. His movements were slow and his demeanour conveyed a weary and beaten man. His shoulders were slumped and his face was long. The wrinkles on his forehead and around his brown eyes gave him an aged appearance. I wasn't sure exactly how old he was but he looked almost fifty though I got the feeling he looked older than he actually was.

Walter Forster was an old friend of Vivien, a next door neighbour and a permanent fixture in my life since as long as I could remember. He sighed and shuffled over towards me. I pulled out a seat and he slowly took a seat. He squinted.

"It's dark," he said.

"Power's out," I told him. I hadn't spoken much since Vivien had died and it surprised me how squeaky my voice was. Clearing my throat, I said it again. "The power is out." Walter nodded.

"It's like that all over the town."

"Do you want a drink?" I asked him after a silence. He shook his head.

"I don't drink."

"Right."

"How…how are you doing?" he asked tentatively. I shrugged; the only response I could manage. "It hasn't hit you yet."

"No. It hit me long ago." I sighed. "We should go." I didn't want to delay this any further. I just wanted it to be over. The house was locked within a couple of minutes and we were ready to leave. The cold wind was bracing but a welcome relief from the stuffiness of the house. I felt like I was leaving the sombre atmosphere of loss as I stepped outside. It didn't make me feel better but at least I could breathe the fresh air.

Walter led the way forward. He moved with an unsteady gait; one leg moved a little slower than the other so he was permanently tilted to the left as he walked along. I spotted other people in the town. They walked alone or with their families – most going the same direction we were. I couldn't help but watch them and muse on how unaffected they were by this. They looked sad but nothing more. They would probably get over it in a few days. They nodded at me, smiled encouragingly, sometimes patted me lightly on the shoulder. No one said anything and for that I was glad. We both knew whatever words they could have spoken would be hollow and inadequate. Words were useless in times like this.

Drops of water began to fall before me and Walter as we walked along – finally reaching our destination. The scattered crowd of people with us came together and squeezed through the rusted cast-iron gate. We all trailed through the wet grass. The shoes made squelching noises as the throng of people shuffled sombrely between the neat lines of gravestones.

The summer rain fell lightly on the cemetery, the droplets hitting each individual grave with a barely discernible plop. The shower was sudden but not unexpected – it rained a lot in Celestic Town – and so everyone had come prepared with jackets and umbrellas. Walter had brought one that I hadn't noticed and he held it over our heads. I barely noticed. The brightly coloured umbrellas stood out among the black clothes worn by the congregation. Everyone crowded around an open grave as four people lowered in a wooden coffin while a priest, also clothed in black, droned on.

I couldn't help but stare at the name inscribed on the gravestone – Vivien Lilly. The sight of the name carved into the rock seemed so serious, so final. It had been four days since my adoptive mother died and I still found it difficult to believe it. I kept expecting to hear her voice, smell her cooking, see her look up from a book and smile. The concept of her being gone after raising me for sixteen years was unthinkable. So how could it be true? How could she be gone?

I thought I might cry but I couldn't. I had done my grieving long ago; the discovery of motor neuron disease came almost a year-and-a-half ago. We cried together that day. It wasn't so bad at first: she had some trouble moving around but that was it. But time passed and the disease took its toll. The treatments didn't change much – they just gave a few extra months of life. When she couldn't even walk anymore we accepted the inevitability. So I didn't cry. I just felt empty.

My thoughts were interrupted when someone placed their hand on my shoulder. I glanced around to see Walter. He looked like I felt: sad, tired, empty and old. I heard him give a deep, weary sigh. Then, forcing a smile, he looked down at me.

"She's in a better place," he whispered as the priest droned on. I didn't even know why we had a priest; Vivien was a staunch atheist. Then again, she rarely drew attention to her beliefs and most everyone in Celestic was religious. Up here, most people paid their respect to Arceus and the Legends: the pokémon gods. Religion varied wildly throughout the region and the world. Most parts of Sinnoh placed an emphasis on the Legends but the newer regions had a more human-orientated belief system. Some areas were much more secular and didn't have much to do with religious affairs.

"Don't patronise me," I replied to Walter, not looking at him. He looked hurt but nodded.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. "I shouldn't…" I shook my head and sighed, feeling slightly guilty.

"No, you're right," I said, still staring at the grave being filled. "We both cared about Vivien. I just…" He nodded.

"Walter?"

"Yes?"

"Why am I broke?" The question made him turn his head rapidly. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead – though perhaps that was just the raindrops. His eyes shifted and his mouth twitched.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I saw a bank statement today. I don't have enough to get through the month. Why is that?" My neighbour lowered his head and fell silent for a few moments.

"Walk with me a while, my boy," he said, with an emotional tremor in his voice. It wasn't a request as I found out when he led me away from Vivien's headstone. I glanced back briefly to see them filling in the grave. It hurt to watch so I looked away. Walter led me away from Vivien's grave.

"The treatments Vivien received," he said slowly with a pained expression on his face. "They were…very expensive. Since Vivien quit her job she wasn't earning any money and you gave up your part-time job at the pokémon centre. The money eventually just…drained away. Vivien named you sole inheritor in her will but you have very little finances left."

"How…" I trailed off, feeling absolutely speechless. I stepped back and out of the cover of the umbrella. The rain fell softly on me but I scarcely noticed. My mind was a whirlwind of panic and disbelief. Taking a step back, I began to pace back and forth between the grave markers. I was reeling. I ran a hand through my hair and took a deep breath before looking back at Walter.

"How did this happen?" I asked. Walter looked away with a pained expression on his face.

"We thought… We didn't think she would…so soon." He closed his eyes and sighed. He was doing that a lot, I noticed. "We all thought we would have a few more months to prepare for when you would have to fend for yourself. When it happened it was soon …so sudden. I mean, we didn't even have a chance to find a carer for at home. It was…" The poor man looked close to tears as he trailed off. Somewhat awkwardly, I placed a hand on his shoulder. I wished there was some way I could comfort him but I was a little concerned about myself.

"What the hell am I going to do?" I wondered aloud. Walter mutered something I couldn't hear.

"What is it?"

"You could stay with me." I blinked.

"Huh?"

"I know it's not ideal but it's definitely an option." My opinion of my neighbour had skyrocketed but I didn't feel comfortable moving in with him. Despite him always being over at Vivien's house I didn't really know that much about him. He didn't have a family or a job that I knew of and he always struck me as being lonely.

"I can't ask you to do that, Walter," I said. He nodded and almost seemed disappointed with my reply.

"Well… I do have another suggestion."

"What?"

"Training, my boy." I frowned, taken aback by another unexpected suggestion. Sure, I had wanted to be a pokémon trainer when I was younger but so did almost everyone else and like almost everyone else, I grew out of it.

"Pokémon training?" I asked with obvious incredulity. Walter seemed surprised at my reaction.

"I think you would make a fine trainer. You love pokémon and you know enough to get by from when you worked in the pokémon centre." I was still reluctant.

"To be a trainer you need pokéballs, items, good clothes and pokémon. I have no money, remember?"

"Most trainers travel with a companion. It halves the costs of the journey and you get to experience more." I shook my head.

"I don't know any trainers." Walter thought for another moment.

"You could get a job in town." I almost laughed out loud.

"There aren't any jobs in this town." Celestic was tiny. Barely anyone lived here; most people move away when they're old enough. Our one claim to fame was the mysterious ruins in the centre of the town. Although Cynthia would occasionally come to visit her family here, she always arrives and leaves without being seen and no one ever hears about it until a few days later. Plus, her popularity as Champion had declined in the last few years. We no longer had bragging rights for being her hometown.

"So, you're only option is to stay with-"

"Eterna City," I said aloud. Walter furrowed his brow at the comment.

"What?"

"I'll go to Eterna. Maybe I can get a job or something. It's not that far away." Walter looked noticeably panicked, though I had no idea why.

"B-but… you would have to go through Mount Coronet."

"I'll bring a guide me."

"But it's dangerous to go through the mountain." I frowned.

"Why are you so desperate to get me to stay?"

"I'm not," he replied, a little too quickly. "I'm just concerned for Vivien's sake."

"Don't be. I'll be fine. Could you watch Vivien's house while I'm gone?" He nodded again but his pained expression remained.

"It's your house now, my boy." I slowly shook my head.

"It will always be Vivien's house." I began to walk away and heard Walter call after me.

"Aren't you going to stay for the end of the funeral?"

"I know how it ends," I replied. After a moment, Walter followed me and we made our way back towards the house in silence. We were practically the only ones there; everyone else was at the funeral. Still, I ran into a few people who smiled sadly at me. It didn't take that long to pack some things in a backpack. I brought only the essentials: clothes, toiletries, some food, some books. I grabbed whatever small amount of money I had saved myself and Walter lent me a little more. The rain had eased off again as we stood on the doorstep. I handed Walter the keys, feeling every much like I was handing over a piece of myself as I did so.

"Be careful," he told me. "There's a storm coming."

"I'll be in a cave," I replied. "I'll be fine." Walter smiled wearily.

"Your parents would be proud of you." My eye twitched but he didn't notice. My mind clouded with anger at the mention of my parents and the presumption that Walter knew what they might feel. I clenched my fists and ignored the overwhelming rage I felt rising up within me.

"Well, I guess we'll never know," I said calmly. As I left he handed me a small bag, telling me not to open it until I was in Eterna, and said goodbye. I left immediately – I really didn't feel like saying goodbye to anyone. I didn't really have anyone to say goodbye to. I was well known in this small community but didn't have that many friends. All the people my age usually left town for some reason: to find work, to go to college, to be a master.

I stood outside Celestic for a minute and gazed back, thinking of all the good times I had there. Knowing I wouldn't be able to wait until I got to Eterna, I opened the bag Walter had given me. In it were a few repels – which I forgot to get – and a single pokéball with a note attached. "In case you change your mind". With a deep sigh, I continued on towards Mount Coronet.

And so I began my ill-fated journey to Eterna City.

(-#-)

It was still dark at the pinnacle of Mount Coronet though dawn was not far away. The night still reigned on the snowy slopes of the mountain so high it pierced the clouds like a knife; Spear Pillar, the blade. The stone ruins were scattered around; the remnants of the ancient world and the apparent birth place of the region. The ruins were expansive and stretched across the entire peak. Normally above the cloud cover and immune to weather, they were nonetheless coated in snow. The entire area was freezing cold because of both the snow and the altitude. The air was calm and cold but also carried with it a sense of finality and sombreness.

Here was the oldest place in the world; the cradle of civilisation. Here, gods slept. And here, people moved.

A fallen stone pillar acted as a seat for one. She sat there with her shoulders hunched and her almond-coloured eyes blank – staring straight down. One hand traced the hieroglyphs on the pillar. Red hair could be seen in the darkness of the black hood she wore. She wore only black. There was nothing in her pockets that would indicate any identity and her attire was identical to that of every other person on the top of the mountain. She didn't need anything to identify her; everyone knew who she was. She stared down at the object in the snow.

"Colonel?" The red haired woman heard a voice – also female but older than she was – but didn't look up for a moment. She just kept staring.

"Do you know what it is?" she asked. There was a pause as the new arrival glanced at the object and blanched.

"No, sir," she answered. The colonel shook her head.

"I don't either," she said. "I was hoping you could tell me…"

"Sergeant Johansen, sir."

"Of course." The colonel closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Then she looked up at Johansen who was doing her best to hold it together. She stood to attention and spoke formally but the woman was obviously terrified. Her face was pale and there was a cold sweat on her forehead. The colonel didn't blame her for feeling scared. How could she when she herself was horrified and shaken beyond belief?

"How many are left?" she asked Johansen.

"I think…"

"Go on."

"I think about…about a dozen, sir." The colonel nodded.

"I see. And the general?"

"His leg is being attended to, sir, but I don't think it looks good." She paused, looking uncomfortable and shifting her gaze to the ground. The colonel looked at her.

"What is it?" she asked. "Speak freely, sergeant." Johansen looked up and locked eyes with the colonel. Wide eyes that were full of terror and incomprehension: eyes that had seen too much. There was fear and madness in those eyes – just like the eyes of the dozen or so other survivors.

"What happened?" she choked out. "What did we do?"

"We gazed into the abyss," the colonel muttered, turning her gaze back to the object on the ground. "We gazed into the abyss and something came out." The woman's expression twisted into an angry sneer. "_Something_…" She stood up abruptly and glared at Johansen.

"Find it," she hissed furiously. "Find that…that _thing_! Get everyone! Get them all looking for it! It _cannot_ be allowed to escape!"

"But…but, sir," Johansen stammered.

"I'm authorising it on the general's behalf," she stated. "When he wakes up he'll say the exact same thing but we don't…have time to…waste…" The colonel fell silent as she spotted something in the distance. She scrambled for a pair of binoculars and peered through them.

"What is it?" Johansen asked nervously.

"I'm ordering an immediate evacuation back to base," the colonel replied, putting away the binoculars. "Immediate and full cleanup starting now."

"What? But sir, we don't have time-"

"Just focus on the bodies of what look like our own agents and get rid of anything that could incriminate us. There's a news helicopter in the distance – it must have seen the light show and it's heading our way. We need to leave." The last part was said anxiously. The colonel's hands were shaking still as she ordered the sergeant to leave. Johansen rushed away towards the nearest person in black – standing nearby as if in a daze. He was staring down at an object much like the one that lay before the colonel. Much like the ones that were strewn around Spear Pillar in a variety of shapes and sizes.

The one before the colonel was smaller than some of the others. She stared at it but couldn't figure out what it had been before the monstrosity attacked it. Now it was bloody and fractured and mutilated beyond comprehension. It was like an organic train crash. Claw marks, teeth marks, gashes, wounds, lacerations, amputations and parts that had melted away.

The colonel turned her head and looked at all that was around her. The snow-covered ruin of Spear Pillar was filled with corpses strewn around. Some were more recognisable than others. About a dozen people dressed in black combat gear were wandering around the wreckage. There were bullet holes and there was explosion damage. Sections of the already-dilapidated ruins had collapsed.

And in the centre of Spear Pillar in the sky above the shattered fragments of a triangular stone podium, the air began to repair itself as reality normalised once more. A gash in the very sky just hovered in place – getting smaller with every passing moment. The air warped around it and changed colour as the hole in reality grew less pronounced. Almost gone was the visibility of the other side of the rupture. The colonel had to strain her eyes to see it in the shrinking patches that were big enough to look through. It was the abyss. It was the implacable, unstoppable, indefinable darkness of That Other Place. It was the dimension they had ripped open. It was the source of the thing which caused so much damage.

The colonel glanced down at the corpse again and something caught her eye. She bent down and stretched her hand forward after retrieving a knife from her belt. There was a squelching noise as she dug the knife into the corpse and out the thing that had caught her eye. As she held it up to the light of the rising sun she saw what it was: the forehead gem of an absol. She pocketed it, figuring it might be valuable. After what had happened today, anything belonging to an absol would be worth a lot in Sinnoh. Relics of extinct species always are.

The colonel stared forward at the rift in time and space, wondering about the consequences of their actions that day. The rising sun shone golden on the bloodstained snow.


	2. Confrontation

_Beta-Reader: The Puppeteer's Ghost_

* * *

**Chapter 2: Confrontation**

* * *

**My name is Cassandra Gunn (call me Cassie) and this is my story.**

My eyes opened, but not of their own accord. The sudden blast of music from my headphones partially roused me from a deep sleep but it didn't persuade me to get up. I groaned loudly and raised one tired arm towards my head – reaching the tangled mass of hair that stuck out from my head. My hand fumbled with my jet black hair until my fingers coiled around the wire. I yanked out the headphones – wincing as I accidentally pulled out a few strands of hair. I let out a groan of satisfaction as the music vanished.

"Sweet merciful silence," I muttered to myself, still lying face down in my bed. A familiar yowling noise reached my ears but I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to ignore it.

"Go away," I mumbled. The yowl sounded again and I felt the covers being dragged off me. I groaned and covered my head with the pillow. "Leave me alone, Midnight." I felt a cold, wet sensation and some part of my brain told me I was being licked. I groaned again and lifted up the pillow to see two slanted red eyes, framed by black and silver fur, staring back at me. They blinked.

"Yena." A tongue licked my nose and I sighed.

"Fine," I mumbled, forcing myself into sitting position. "I'm getting up." My hair, completely black but for purple highlights, fell into my eyes as usual and gave the impression that I was peering through a thick, black rainforest. My hand moved to the left – almost of its own accord – and grabbed my black hairbrush. I swiped it through the mass of hair as part of my usual morning routine.

"Alice?" I called. "Are you up?" I heard a yawn and glanced down to see its source: a small pile of blankets on the floor beside the bed. A small paw emerged as a pokémon slowly clawed its way out from within. A furry, black creature looked up at me with golden eyes.

"Sneasel," Alice said. She darted out of the blankets and jumped on to the bed beside me.

"Morning," I said, shooting her a smile as she hugged my arm. Midnight continued to watch, standing sentry beside the bed with a serious expression on her face. I caught her eye and nodded.

"We should get ready," I said. "It's an important day." Midnight snorted, as if to say that _I_ was the only one that needed to get ready; they were ready now. I shot her a look and heard a snigger from Alice. I cleaned the small room we were staying in, quickly showered, packed my bag and cleaned the room again to calm my nerves. This was about to be my first day as a trainer and I was in a whole new region. I had barely enough time to read the guidebooks one the plane before I landed here in Eterna last night. I was nervous – terrified actually. I fidgeted with my hair as the three of us left the room and I locked it behind me.

We emerged in a long corridor filled with doors to other rooms like mine. Pokémon centres offered free accommodation for a few days to anyone who needed it. Something told me it was a service I would need a lot on our journey. I saw one or two people in the hallway. When one smiled at me I looked away and stared at the ground. There were no lights on and when I descended the stairs into the lobby I could see a few people looking panicked. I only took a momentary glance around the spacious room before I walked over to the counter. The receptionist gave me an apologetic smile when I approached.

"Power's out," she told me. "We're having trouble keeping everything running."

"Thank you for telling me," I began, speaking bluntly and without emotion, "even though I didn't ask and it has absolutely no impact on me since I am leaving now." The receptionist looked at me funnily like she was trying to figure out if I was being serious. I stared at her. She nodded very slowly and took back the key to my room.

"Have a nice day," she muttered but I had already turned around and left without another word. I looked down at my pokémon.

"I think I'm getting better at talking to people," I commented. Alice nodded vigorously and Midnight gave a slight smile before shaking her head almost imperceptibly. I gulped as we stepped through the pokémon centre door. It slid open a little but got stuck so I had to squeeze my way through. We emerged onto a practically empty street but I was still painfully aware of every person walking. I kept my head down – my eyes fixed on the ground before my feet. Alice hugged my leg and buried her face in my pants leg. Midnight prowled along beside me. Her eyes were always moving as she surveyed our surroundings. In my mind I repeated the directions I had memorised from the guidebook. I managed to get to the train station in the south of the city without catching anyone's eye and I breathed a sigh of relief. Still looking at the ground, I walked into the small building and marched over to the counter.

"I want tickets to Oreburgh," I blurted out. My hand went into my pocket and I placed the exact amount of money on the counter before the man. "I have two pokémon and myself and we want to go to Oreburgh."

"Would you like to hear about our special offers?"

"Nothing would make me more bored and angry than hearing about whatever underhanded tactic you've employed to trick gullible people into paying more than they should." I paused. "Three tickets to Oreburgh." He gave me the tickets.

I felt slightly more relaxed when the three of us reached the train. It looked old; it was certainly older than the state of the art trains back in Hoenn. I liked it though. There was only one in the station and it was a dark grey colour – stained in some places. It was quaint and old-fashioned and it made me remember what attracted me to Sinnoh. There was just so much history here. It was almost a dead region; the economy was bad and emigration was high. But everywhere you looked you could find a sense of nostalgia – of bitter poignancy and longing for the past. I always liked the past more than the present. And of course, the offer of treatment in Jubilife made this region a definite place to train. I shuddered and heard a soft whine from each of my pokémon. They looked worried about me. They also looked sad. We had lost so much. I smiled at them and brushed my wrist against my eyes to dispel any tears that were forming.

"Don't worry," I told them. "We're going to be okay here." With one last deep breath, I boarded the train and took a seat next to the door. There were a few other people on the train with me but I didn't pay them enough attention to know what they looked like. The man closest to me leaned over and opened his mouth to say something but I spoke before he could.

"Please don't talk to me about anything that doesn't directly relate to how long I have to sit here awkwardly on this run-down train." He got an odd look on his face and slowly leaned back in his seat. This was looking to be a silent, undisturbed journey. I gave a sigh of relief and rooted for my headphones. That suited me just fine.

(-#-)

**Sam**

"So you're needin' to go through the mountain, eh?" I blinked.

"Sorry. What was that?" The man sighed, his whole body moving as he did so.

"That's why you gone and brought me out here, ain't it?"

"Oh, yeah. I need a guide though the mountain. Someone said you could help." The man stroked his beard – or at least what might be a beard in about a month. His name was Jackson and he lived here in Celestic. He used to be a hiker and still went walking in the mountains on occasion. He was fairly young too, when he decided to settle here in Celestic. If there was anyone else who could show me the way I would go to them but unfortunately he was the only choice I had. I suppose I was lucky he was willing to help.

"You got the stuff you need?"

"Yeah." He grinned.

"Then let's go a hikin'." We set off from his house in the west of the town and it wasn't long before we reached the entrance to Mount Coronet. Route 211 was pretty uneventful and Jackson kept any unruly pokémon away with his luxray. No trainers came this way anymore and the road had been abandoned by civilisation; swallowed up by the advance of nature. Tall grass covered everything that wasn't trees or rocks. We passed a simple wooden sign – rotten and illegible. I was rarely out this way; I rarely even left Celestic Town. It was surprising that a place so near to where I lived could seem so foreign. I almost felt guilty for treading somewhere that seemed so undisturbed. Jackson, hacking his way through with a machete, clearly felt differently.

His luxray strode ahead of us and forced a clear path through the underbrush. Soon, the trees and grass began to fade away – replaced by patches of stone and rock. Jackson whistled as we came in view of Mount Coronet. Once again, I was reminded just how big it was. I had lived in the shadow of the so-called sacred mountain all my life but it always seemed so distant. Now I stood before it and gazed up at the enormous, towering of mountain of rock. It was like a vertical continent that ripped the region in two.

We were at the entrance now and peering in there was nothing but darkness. I felt like I was standing on a precipice and staring down into an abyss. The interior edges of the gateway were reinforced with metal but it was so rusted and dirty that it was almost indistinguishable from the surrounding rock. The darkness within was almost palpable. Shadowy tendrils stretched out from within. Even Jackson shivered.

"There's somethin' about this place," he mumbled. The luxray (I couldn't remember his name) growled beside him. I gulped as I looked at the mountain.

"Do we have torches?" I asked, keeping the apprehension out of my voice. Jackson nodded and tossed me one that he took from his rucksack.

"Now I'm warnin' you now," he told me seriously, "that Coronet's got some eletrowhatsit field that makes everythin' unreliable." He gave a smirk of pride and raised his chin haughtily. "Thankfully, I got me these new torches from Vader Industries that are one-hundred-per-cent guaranteed-"

"They're not working," I interrupted him. He frowned and flicked the torch on, then off, then on again – to no effect. He hit it lightly and replaced the batteries but it still didn't work. His frown deepened.

"I better get a refund for these," he grumbled, before turning to his luxray. "Guess you're up." The electric type stepped forward, looking every bit the majestic lion he was. Black, gold and azure fur swirled around and crackled with static electricity. He prowled forward into the depths and Jackson followed suit. With a deep breath, I stepped tentatively through the entrance after them.

The first thing that struck me was just how dark it was. The second thing that struck me was that of course it was going to be dark – it's a cave inside a mountain – and that I should stop acting like an idiot. Jackson turned to his luxray. Even so close to the entrance it was dark enough to make seeing difficult.

"Flash," he said. Of course. An attack like that would light up the way so we could see properly. But Jackson wasn't finished. "Use flash." I blinked. It took a few seconds of wondering why he had repeated himself to realise he had actually named his luxray Flash. I tried not to groan at the terrible nickname. The luxray growled and his eyes flashed with intense light. My eyes stung so I looked away. Twin beams of light like headlights emerged from the luxray's red and golden eyes. They shone through the darkened chasm of the mountain and illuminated the path forward.

"Always stay behind him," Jackson warned me. "You look at that light straight on for too long and it could burn out your corneas." I nodded, mindful of the danger, when I heard a flutter of wings above my head. My gaze turned from side to side as I tried to track the source of the noise when a crowd of flying pokémon screamed and flew towards me. I screamed as a leathery legion of zubat attacked me. I had covered my eyes but in between my fingers I could see the enormous mouths filled with teeth. Jackson seemed bemused by the assault.

"I ain't never seen so many zubat attracted to one person," he muttered. "They never bother me."

"How wonderful for you," I muttered through gritted teeth. I swore and waved my arms around to try and ward them off. When that didn't work, Flash shot off a few warning bolts of electricity and the zubat crowd dispersed with loud and frantic screeches.

"Let's go," Jackson said to me, walking away into the cave.

"I hate this place," I muttered to myself before following him deeper into the cavernous depths of the mountain. I trailed after Jackson and Flash as they led the way through dozens of identical-looking tunnels and caverns. With every moment that passed I suspected that we had gotten lost but Jackson walked so confidently and assured of his sense of direction that I never voiced my thoughts aloud. The constant eerie chatter of the zubat never left my mind. I shuddered every few minutes when I heard one shriek. The horrible screeching seemed to be all around us.

"Are there always so many of them?" I asked Jackson.

"Truth be told, I ain't never seen so many of them – and so loud too. There're the only pokémon 'round too. Usually the zubat don't bother you if you don't make too much noise but you'd be fallin' over geodude and scaring away chingling. This is…odd." He was right, as I realised by looking around and straining my ears. There were no pokémon other than the ever-present zubat. With the absence of any people, the mountain was a hive of activity for numerous pokémon. Sometimes you could hear them if you strayed close enough to the entrance. It was strange to go this far in without finding any of them.

Jackson stopped – and so did his luxray. He frowned in the dim light of the luxray's flash and looked around. One hand went up and scratched the top of his head.

"Well," he muttered, sounding puzzled, "ain't that somethin'." My heart sunk.

"We're lost." He seemed to take offense at the remark.

"We ain't lost. I don't get lost. All we've got to do is just head back the way we came and…" He stopped.

"What is it?"

"It's _nothing_." I blinked. Then realisation dawned. It _was_ nothing: no noise. The zubat had fallen silent for the first time. The sound of our own voices and of Flash's low purring was all that could be heard in the darkness. Somehow, the absence of the zubat was much worse than their endless cries.

Flash growled suddenly, the light dimming as he narrowed his eyes. The luxray glared at something in the shadows. The light intensified but it couldn't pierce the darkness of the area he (along with us) was staring at. I thought I saw the shadows move and shift in the glare and then two eyes suddenly appeared: a pair of sunken blood-red orbs, resplendent and deep yet hollow and cold. They absorbed the light around them so all that could be seen was those two red eyes in the shadows.

My gaze turned to Jackson. His eyes were wide and fixed on the figure in the darkness. His entire body seemed to tremble and the colour of his skin had paled.

"Shoot it," he whispered. He wrenched his gaze away and screamed at Flash. "Shoot it!" The luxray growled and hissed – blasting a bolt of lightning into the shadows. The shadows swayed like the ocean tides and swallowed up the lightning (though not before it illuminated the figure).

The flash of lightning revealed snow-coloured fur on a dark blue frame. A thick mane covered its neck and a sickle shaped horn emerging from the side of its head. A scythe-like tail and a single black oval adorning its forehead added to the ferocity and mystery of the creature. I knew what it was. It was an absol. And it was stained with blood.

"Hit it again!" Jackson yelled.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, grabbing his arm. He wrenched it away and shot me a look of fear and loathing.

"You know what that is? That there's an absol! Bad enough seeing a dark but that thing'll be the death of us all. The last time they showed up the world almost ended."

"It's injured!"

"Good. That makes it easier to kill." A rumble sounded in the darkness like an earthquake. The red eyes of the absol glinted and narrowed as the sound of familiar screeching returned. The sound of hundreds of beating wings grew louder and the terrifying uproar of the zubat entered a crescendo. The bats fell in force from the shadows above – not just zubat but golbat and crobat too. Hundreds of faceless flying monsters descended. They were all fangs and eyes and wings and claws and they rushed at us. I screamed and ducked but they seemed fixated on Jackson more than me. He screamed too and he waved his arms in a panicked fashion. Flash shot bolts of lightning into the air but there were too many to fight off and eventually the electric type was engulfed in blue and purple. I felt a shiver down my spine and I turned around for reasons I was unaware of. A single pair of purple eyes shone out from the shadows. They glowed with power and flashed once. At once, the zubat hoard dispersed into the gloom. I stood up and looked closer but the eyes began to fade.

"Wait!" I ran towards them but I only saw the outline before it vanished. It was grey and vaguely feline looking with a long purple tail. It was the eyes that were most striking though. A combination of purple and blue, they were incandescent. Yet somehow, they seemed to radiate sadness. I had to forget about this however, when Jackson rushed past me on Flash.

"What are you doing?" I yelled after him.

"I'm getting' out of here!" he screamed back. "You can find your own way out of this place!"

"Wait!" The hiker ignored my cries and left me in the darkness of the cave. A faint light source emerged from my pocket and I fumbled around. I retrieved the torch from earlier – now working perfectly and shining brightly. The beam of light rested on the red eyes once more.

"Absol," I muttered. They were incredibly rare and almost never seen below the peak of Mount Coronet. I wondered what had brought this one down so far and what had hurt it so badly. The dark type turned its head, saw me standing there and ran. After only a moment's hesitation, I followed it.

It was fast but I could easily keep up. In the wild absol could normally outrun a person in seconds. This one was barely keeping ahead of me and it left a streak of blood each time it brushed against the wall. My lungs started to burn from running so fast and I almost tripped over a few rocks on the ground.

Eventually, the tunnel began to get brighter and I had to avert my eyes a little; they had adjusted to the darkness. The absol darted through a crevice in the wall. I reached the crevice, breathless, and squeezed through after it. I winced when a sharp rock poked against me but I stumbled out and stood up in the fresh air. The cold and rain assaulted me instantly. The sky was darkened with clouds and the wind was strong enough to almost knock me over – even though I had emerged near the bottom of the mountain and the trees around me offered some protection. I spotted the absol in the distance and tore after it into the storm.

(-#-)

**Cassie**

"Attention all passengers!" The sudden crackle from the speaker above my head brought me back to reality. I jumped slightly at the noise and made my pokémon stir from my movements. Alice glanced up nervously from where she sat on my lap. Midnight had posed herself by my ankles and, as usual, she was keeping an eye on the surroundings. Her eyes constantly scanned the carriage and her ears perked up at the noise of the announcement. I rubbed my eyes and tuned into the voice of the announcer.

"Attention all passengers! There will be a temporary stop for refuelling and…" The voice crackled and faded away. Most of the other passengers stood up and stretched. In a scattered fashion they made their way towards the door and stepped outside. The three of us watched them leave, feeling confused. Alice hugged my arm and buried her face in my jacket as they all walked by. The man in the seat beside me leaned over slightly and tried a smile. It was a little unsteady but I had warned him not to speak to me.

"They've gone and broken down again," he told me. "Ought not to be but a half hour. Most people they go for a walk – stretch the legs before the train's up and running again. You want to run off for a while I'll make sure no one leaves without you." I examined my shoes to avoid having to catch his eye.

"Uh, thank you," I mumbled. "Um, don't you want to…?" I pointed vaguely outside but he shook his head – still wearing that toothy grin.

"I got a newspaper here. Don't you worry 'bout a thing." Feeling grateful, I stood up and left through the door of the train. The thought of saying goodbye didn't even occur to me. I was too relieved to be back in the fresh air away from people. I sighed and tilted back my head, swishing my hair and letting it fall back behind me. I breathed in the fresh air, then shivered from the cold. It was like I had stumbled into the Arctic Circle after living in the near-tropical Hoenn until recently. It was only spring but I wouldn't be surprised if it stayed this cold all year round.

Midnight prowled out after me and Alice dropped to the ground, landing on the edges of her claws before righting herself immediately. The predominant view before us was that of the mountain. The towering figure of Mount Coronet stretched into the sky. There was a whole mountain range but its name had been lost to the ages so now everyone referred to it just as Mount Coronet.

A dense expanse of trees lined the area and they swayed in the heavy wind. The rain was starting to fall but I had two hoods and multiple layers so it wasn't so bad for me. I looked down at my pokémon. They didn't have the same extent of protection as I did.

"Are you still okay with going for a walk?" I asked. They both shot me a look that made it perfectly clear that if the other option was returning to the train then they would walk for hours. I half smiled and beckoned them into the trees. There was more shelter amidst the conifers though they still swayed in the wind. The rain just barely manages to pierce the canopy of leaves overhead – at least at first. Then the rain fell harder and the wind blew stronger and soon we were in the depths of a full blown storm.

"We should go back!" I yelled.

"Might!" Midnight barked suddenly. I followed her gaze out into the trees where I could just barely see a figure cloaked in shadows. It ran towards us through the trees but stopped suddenly when we came into its view. I squinted to see it better. When I spotted the snow-white fur and sickle-shaped horn I gasped.

"Absol," I muttered in shock. Midnight and Alice were both staring at the dark pokémon in the distance. They looked as shocked as I was to see one of the rarest pokémon in existence. Even from so far away I was struck by the power and majesty of the creature. I didn't even have to say anything to Midnight when I looked at her; she knew instantly that I had to capture it.

She growled and flattened her body, arching her back and exposing her teeth like she did before every battle. She prowled forward slowly and I followed her with Alice. The absol did nothing but stare at us. I could decipher no emotion in its deep, emotionless eyes – blood-red and narrowed slightly. It tilted its head and looked at Midnight curiously. I opened my mouth to shout out a command when a sudden flash of red light engulfed the absol and he vanished.

I blinked. A boy came into my field of vision and I stared at him in outrage.

"What the hell did you do that for?" I shouted Alice stood behind me as I yelled at the boy. He looked around the same age as me but with light brown hair a little above his shoulders. He was much paler and didn't seem to be cold despite only wearing one layer of clothing. His clothes were in lighter colours compared to my own black and purple attire. As well as all that, he held a single pokéball in his hand.

"That's _my_ absol!" I shouted over the noise of the falling rain. "Give it back!" The howling winds made his reply incomprehensible.

"Don't stand!" I thought I heard him yell. "It's insured!" I hesitated.

"It's insured?" I yelled back in confusion. He started walking towards us.

"INJURED!" I stopped and stared at him, not quite sure what I had heard. I glanced down at Midnight.

"Did he say it was injured?" I asked. She nodded and I realised there was a reddish tinge to the absol when I saw him. I turned back to the trainer. "Who are you?" Even from far away, I could see him blanch. He suddenly started running and waved his arms as he shouted.

"Look out!" I blinked.

"What?" Midnight turned to me with wide eyes and howled. Alice grabbed one arm and Midnight took hold of my other as they wrenched me from the spot and dragged me towards the boy. I stole a glance behind me to see a tree topple and crash to the ground where I had been. We reached the boy and I saw him up close for the first time. Light brown hair fell just above his shoulders and two bright blue eyes peered out at me. The paleness of his skin told me he was a native of this region – as did his clothes which were light despite the freezing cold and wind. He was my age and height as well and when he grabbed my arm I shuddered at the contact.

Midnight growled but I waved her down and he pulled me along. Midnight and Alice darted along beside us as we ran through the storm towards the mountain. My heart and mind were both racing. The boy seemed confident about where he was going and that calmed me for some reason. Something about him made me want to trust him. I think I must have seen something in his eyes when he looked at me because I put my faith in him completely. We arrived, soaking wet and breathless at a rocky schism in the base of the mountain and we piled inside.

(-#-)

**Sam**

The storm raged outside. The sky was ablaze with lightning and the rain plummeted mercilessly to the ground. I could see the trees bend with the force of the wind. Thankfully, we were safe in the alcove of rock by the mountain. It was nothing more than a small cave but there was plenty of room for all four of us and the light spewing in from outside was enough to see by. The girl was sitting in the corner with her two dark pokémon. She hadn't spoken since we took shelter, instead tucking her legs in and resting her chin on her knees while staring at the floor with two lustrous green eyes.

Jet black hair cascaded long past her shoulders and ended in a deep purple colour where they had been died. She wasn't from this region; she had a far darker complexion that might indicate Hoenn. Her clothes were all dark colours (various hues of black, blue and purple) and she wore several layers of them – draped around practically every part of her body. I tried to catch her eye but she ignored me so I turned away.

"Cassie," the girl muttered suddenly. I looked away from the storm and towards her. "My name's Cassie. This is Midnight and Alice." She pointed at each of her pokémon in turn.

"I'm Sam Jacobs," I replied, and smiled. She looked away instantly and fidgeted where she sat – obviously uncomfortable. Her two pokémon were with her but the sneasel was hiding behind her back. The mightyena stood before her trainer and scrutinised me with narrow eyes. I met her gaze and tried to hide how nervous she made me.

"So…" I began, taking my mind of the dark wolf that was staring me down. "I'm guessing you're not from around here." Cassie shook her head after a moment.

"No," she said bluntly. I raised my eyebrow. "I'm from Hoenn."

"Oh, what part?"

"Gemstone City." The capital of Hoenn and one of the world's biggest cities. It was also the fastest growing one. Two decades ago it was just a few isolated towns in the south of Hoenn but now it had swallowed up miles of countryside. They renamed it Gemstone City a while ago; originally it was called Littleroot. I nodded.

"Right. So why are you in Sinnoh?" She still seemed evasive and avoided catching my eye. Instead, she stared over my shoulder and examined a spot on the wall behind me.

"I'm taking the league challenge," she said.

"Why didn't you take it in Hoenn?" Cassie's face fell and the mightyena growled. I sensed I had stumbled on an uncomfortable topic.

"I, uh, I don't really want to talk about," Cassie replied.

"Yeah, sure." A long silence ensued – broken only by the sound of the storm outside. Cassie spoke up again.

"How did you know that absol was hurt?" I shrugged.

"I worked in the pokémon centre for a few months. I learned how to tell if a pokémon is injured badly."

"What do you think happened to it?"

"I don't know. It could have been pokémon hunters."

"Yeah, maybe."

"What are you going to name him?" she asked. The question took me by surprise. I hadn't even considered keeping the pokémon and I still wasn't sure what I was going to do with him.

"I don't know," I answered honestly.

"Well, where were you going before all this started?"

"Here in Eterna. I was going to try and get a job."

"Why?"

"I have no money. My…adopted mother recently died and I don't have anything left." Cassie's expression darkened once more.

"I don't have my mother any more either. Not really. I'm on my own except for Midnight and Alice. I guess it's a good thing I'm a trainer. Maybe you could try it…"

"You're not the first person to suggest that. But, I don't have the first idea how to be a trainer. So now I don't know what to do." Cassie fidgeted some more and twirled a strand of hair between her fingers.

"If it's any consolation," she muttered, "I'm in a similarly bad situation. I'm in a new region and I have no idea what I'm doing. It turns out theory is easier than practice." I looked up at her.

"You realise that there's a solution to both out problems."

"What?"

"We travel together as trainers." My suggestion shocked her. She spluttered nervously.

"Come with you? Coming with me? Together – travelling together?" The notion panicked her so much she was literally shaking. I frowned, a little offended.

"It's not _that_ horrible," I told her.

"B-but we just met," she stammered. "You could be a serial killer or something." I sighed.

"I promise I won't kill anyone on the journey," I said, trying not to laugh. "If I do I will tell you immediately and you can leave on your own journey. No harm done." She blinked, clearly unimpressed by my pathetic attempt at humour. "Seriously though. I know the region and I can show you the way. You can teach me pokémon training. It's safer than you travelling alone. Plus, I could…" I wondered how I could phrase this. "…save you having to talk to other people."

"What are you implying?" she asked with a scowl on her face.

"I saved your life and you haven't looked me in the eye yet. Something tells me you're not a very sociable person." Her scowl deepened but she nodded in concession.

"I don't talk to people very well…"

"I noticed." Cassie fell silent, still twirling her hair around.

"Alright then," she eventually said. I grinned at her and she gave a shaky smile in response – finally looking at me with two bright green eyes. The smile was only there for a second but it lit up her face.

"You still have to name him," Cassie said. I wracked my brains trying to think of a good name for the absol. I came up with… nothing. Thankfully, Cassie had a suggestion.

"What about Atrum?" she offered.

"Atrum? What does that mean?"

"It's Latin for dark."

"You know Latin?" She shrugged.

"Self-taught," she told me. I said the name aloud to see how it sounded. I smiled and nodded my agreement.

"I like it," I said. I gazed down at the pokéball containing Atrum – my absol.


	3. Introduction

_Beta-Reader: The Puppeteer's Ghost_

* * *

**Chapter 3: Introduction**

* * *

**I don't know what my name is. I don't know who I am. But I do know that is my story. This is **_our_** story. This **_is _**our **_story._ _The story of men and beasts, of Legends and mortals, of time and space, of heroes and monsters and all that lies between that gargantuan divide: the great gulf between Evil and Good._

9r|GS -RGJhgsoe8e/3,? Stop it! aFr;GF87R 7rfjH].q

_This is a story of life. This is a story of death. This is a story of everything: of the End of All Things. This is story of stories. _

U28Dw= What's happening? What is this? F09- fie49\eHW/'twq

_This is The Story. _

59f|kai uIHgd I I…I can't remember…anything. -2r3=soYH

_This is My Story._

Hywp(kJRX Why can't I remember? Fky9[GB S9Q=+

_I am its creation._

I don't know who I am…

_And I will._

But I can hear them.

_Be._

I can hear them.

_Its._

I can hear them…

_DESTRUCTION!_

…whisper…

Whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper SCREAM! I HEAR THEM SCREAMING IN MY MIND AND NOW THEY'RE GONE and now I'm gone where am I gone? I think I am running. I remember running. Yes. Running. That's what I remember. Nothing else. Just that. Running so hard and so fast through the abysmal darkness of the deepest depths of

The cave. The winding tunnel. The cavernous inferno of claustrophobia and rock that stretched out before me _(us)_; a never-ending maze that bores its way through the earth. And above that lies the sacred Mountain of Ages. A natural colossus that dominates the landscape and pierces the sky. And above that lies the final testament to the first of humanity: the oldest, most desolate place in the world. And above that is what I fear I am running from (what am I running from _what are we running from)_

I can hear them as my paws pound the stone floor _(well-worn igneous rock high concentration of small crystals latent heat signature)_ and my head is empty but there is so much there. It rattles around: information that vanishes as soon as I turn my gaze away from something. There's so much in this world (_isn't there just)_

But the noise is the worst. An endless cascade of sounds that sound like nothing I have ever heard though I can't remember hearing anything else. I hear them speak I hear them whisper with a hundred thousand voices and one voice that encompasses them all. It is an abomination in my head and I don't know what it is but it laughs and drives me forward and drives me away and I have to get away. I have to get away.

I have to get away.

I had to get away.

I had to…

I have to…

…wake up.

My eyes shot open and with it I thought: I have eyes. And then I thought: I have thoughts. The maniacal laughter of the whispering crescendo receded back to the darkness and reality began to exert itself upon me. My first experience was pain.

My gaze reached the blinding searing fluorescence of the lights above my head and at once I was flooded with pain. I yelled out instinctively – not knowing, for a moment, that it was me that had yelled. My eyes watered and I slammed them shut, moving my head abruptly to avoid the light. My muscles seemed to scream in protest and I suddenly became aware of an agonising sensation throughout every portion of my body. I had been crushed by a continent and my bones had been immolated. Or so it felt to me.

A subtle overtone to the pain was the feeling of lying down on an uncomfortable surface. Cold metal pressed into my back as I lay down. I had a back. That was good. I knew it was always good to possess a back. Though, after giving it a moment of thought, I wasn't entirely sure how I knew. My mind was still a whirlwind though, and the intense pain made it difficult to concentrate on anything except…well, the pain. Suddenly, I became aware of another sensation: hearing. I could hear. I started to panic – dreading the return of the voices in my head. This new sound was different though.

"Are you okay?" it asked me. I frowned without opening my eyes.

"No!" I retorted. "I don't what's going- what are you doing?" I could hear it move. I opened my eyes again to see a…thing. I couldn't accurately name it when I wasn't even sure what I was. It definitely wasn't me though. This new creature probably stood on two legs but it knelt down beside me. It was a pale pinkish-yellowish sort of colour but with a flimsy patch of hair covering the top of its head. Two spindly arms emerged from a torso along with two slightly-less spindly legs. It had no horns, no claws and the absolute bare necessity of body parts. Big head though. Maybe that counted for something. The majority of its body was covered in strange materials like pelts of different colours.

"I'm Sam," it told me. It was a Sam. How enlightening.

"How enlightening," I muttered, figuring that some things needed to be said out loud. I frowned at the noise my voice made. It was a little higher than I thought it would be. I glanced back at the Sam and saw he wasn't the only one there. There was a whole bunch of Sams in the room. A baggier version of the first Sam stood behind him, toying with its long black hair. Another one stood farther back. It wore a long white gown and had shorter, spikier hair.

The entire situation was making me nervous. I had just woken up and still hadn't managed to completely banish the nightmarish whispers from my mind. I felt anxious and paranoid and confused and all these…_things_ in the room with me weren't helping.

"I need to get out of here," I mumbled, straining to move.

"I wouldn't bother," the third Sam said as I tried to get up. "The sedative he's taken won't even let him sit up on his own." I sat up despite the aching in my body. "Or, you know, not." I tried to move but all my paws hit each other.

"What?" My bottom paws tangled and I tumbled off the steel bench to the ground. "Why do I have so many limbs?" I landed face first with my limbs sprawled out at awkward angles. This seemed to send the Sams into a mild panic. I screwed up my face in intense concentration as I tried to move four limbs at once and stand up. I ignored the orders from the other beings in the room.

"I must have got the dosage wrong…"

"Is he okay?"

"Midnight! Get in here!" I moved all my limbs beneath me and gradually rose to a standing position. I didn't know what to do with my tail so it just sort of stuck out awkwardly. Almost immediately I broke into a grin. Something was telling me I shouldn't be so proud of being able to stand up but I ignored that thought. This was my first victory since I woke up and I planned to savour it.

"Midnight! Take him down!" I turned.

"Huh?" Something dark and heavy crashed into me – knocking the breath out of me and slamming me into the wall. The something growled coldly and sent shivers down my spine. I was terrified by what was on top of me but I gulped and turned to face it. I frowned.

"You're not a Sam," I said before pausing. "Are you?" The question seemed to phase the black and silver wolf that was pinning me down. It frowned and tilted its head ever so slightly.

"I'm a mightyena," it answered.

"Oh. Okay. What's that?" It seemed surprised again.

"I'm surprised you haven't heard of us," it said, somewhat warily. "I didn't think absol were _that_ isolated."

"Absol?" It looked downright worried now.

"Yes. That's you."

"I'm absol?"

"You're _an_ absol."

"There's more than one?"

"Yes."

"Oh, right. And which one am I?" I felt the pressure ease from my body as the mightyena creature stepped back.

"Who are you?" it asked. I looked into its eyes and told the truth.

"I don't know." She took another step back and her eyes widened somewhat. I began to suspect that wasn't the right answer. The mightyena twisted her head slightly and called out to one of the Sams – though she never took her eyes off me.

"Cassie," she said warily. "There's something…something you should probably…" She shook her head. "You don't know who you are."

"That is correct."

"So, what do you remember?"

"Uh…I woke up here." She waited. I waited. The Sams waited. "That's it."

"That's it?"

"Midnight!" One of the Sams called. "What's happening? What's going on?"

"Why are they asking you?" I said to the Midnight-mightyena. "Can't they hear us talking?" It looked absolutely baffled at the question.

"Humans can't understand pokémon." It spoke very slowly.

"And the humans would be…" She motioned towards the Sams, confusing me further.

"But that one said he was a Sam."

"His _name_ is Sam. His _species_ is human. Just like my name is Midnight and my species is mightyena." I frowned. "So you call me Midnight." While I was thrilled to be expanding my vocabulary, my head was starting to hurt.

"That seems like a lot to remember," I said. "Still, I guess it's only the four of you." It opened its mouth. Then it closed it again.

"Midnight, seriously!' The _human_ called out. "What is going on?" Midnight looked conflicted. It furrowed its brow and alternated between scrutinising me and looking at the black-haired human who kept addressing her. Finally it made a decision.

"It's fine," it said, strolling over to the human. "It's nothing." Midnight licked the human on the hand – appeasing it. I gagged.

"What was _that_?" I asked.

"It's a sign of affection," the mightyena told me.

"You were _tasting_ it!" I cried. "How is that affectionate?" Midnight shot me an irritated look.

"Her." I blinked and it sighed. "Different genders: male, female and neutral. I'm female and so is Cassie. You, Sam and the doctor are male. That means different pronouns: he, him and his for male; she, her and hers for female."

"What's the difference between them?" Midnight stammered a little as it…she answered.

"We'll, uh…we'll get to that some other time." She motioned towards the humans. "Come on. You should meet our trainers." There was another new word. I really hoped I'd be able to remember everything. We strolled over to the three humans where the tallest one – the doctor – moved forward and knelt down before me.

"What's he doing?" I asked nervously.

"Just stay calm and don't move," Midnight told me. "He's going to do a quick examination to make sure you're healthy."

"Define 'examination'." The doctor human stared into my eyes and tapped my horn. He patted me in a few places and scrutinised me overall. I hated the whole thing and it took all my self control not to run away.

"He seems fine," the doctor stood up and I relaxed somewhat. Somewhat. "All injuries appear to have healed and he's made a very fast recovery. I'd still like to wait for the results of the x-ray but I'm pretty sure he's ready to leave. I've also put out a notice against pokémon hunters in Mount Coronet." Sam and Cassie exchanged a look but Sam nodded. They talked for a little while about things I didn't know about and I found my gaze wandering around the small, strange room I was in. I suppose I shouldn't call it strange since _everything_ was strange to me.

The walls were white and the metal stretcher I woke up in was in the centre of the room. A couple of big and mysterious machines stood by the walls, flashing ominously. The first human – the one named Sam – walked over towards me and Midnight.

"What's he doing?" I asked Midnight in a worried fashion.

"He probably just wants to talk to you for a minute," she answered calmly.

"We'll just give you some time to get to know your new pokémon," the doctor said cheerfully as he left the room. Cassie went to leave as well.

"Who was he talking about?" I asked Midnight.

"You."

"Me?"

"You're Sam's new pokémon."

"I'm a pokémon? I thought I was an absol." She looked like she was about to laugh. Or possibly cry.

"You're both. Absol is a sub-species of pokémon." I groaned loudly in frustration and confusion. My head was really hurting now. "You know, I can explain all this some other time."

"You're leaving me with the human?" I didn't disguise my panic at the thought of being left alone with him.

"He's your trainer," she said, as if that explained everything. "Besides, I'll be right outside." She walked outside with her human. I cast a mournful glance at her as she left.

"What's a trainer?" I asked her but either she didn't hear me or just didn't dignify it with a response. I gulped and turned to Sam.

"So… How are you?"

"Hi there," he said, and knelt down so he was the same height as me. He looked straight at me with a smile on his face. It was a little unnerving and I wondered what he wanted. My suspicious mind conjured up scenarios – none of them ending well for me. He extended his hand and I flinched, moving back. His expression changed to one of concern.

"It's all right," he reassured me. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"You'd probably say that if you were planning to hurt me, though, so I'm not really convinced." Oblivious to my wit, he slowly moved his hand towards me. I slowly moved backwards at the same speed. He looked hurt but I didn't know what his intentions were. Until I knew, I wasn't letting him near me. He tried to shrug it off but I knew it bothered him.

"My name's Sam-"

"I'm amnesiac. I'm not deaf."

"-and I'm your trainer now. That means you're going to be travelling-"

"Travelling where? What's wrong with this place?"

"-with me and my friends. Now I know you're probably feeling a little nervous-"

"You have absolutely no idea."

"-but I want you to know that I'm going to blah and blah blah with blah." I'm only guessing this is what he said. I had stopped listening at this point so I can't be sure. I had taken an immediate dislike to this strange creature claiming to be my trainer and was disinclined to listen to anything he had to say. I only tuned back in when he mentioned another strange word and the strange sentence it was in. "I've called you Atrum. That's your name now." I frowned, looking at Sam suspiciously.

"Atrum." I said the name aloud, listening to the way it sounded. "Atrum." I nodded. "I like it… Wait, did you think up of this?"

"Unfortunately, I can't claim credit for the name. It was Cassie's idea."

"Right. I like it then."

"So…what? You don't like it?"

"That's not what I said at all!"

"I could choose another name if you want…"

"No, no, I said…you… You can't understand me…"

"Uh, you've got some…black fur there. What about Blacky?"

"I can't guarantee your safety if you give me that name."

"You're kind of a cat…dog thing. Maybe something like that…"

"I'm going to bite you if you continue with these terrible suggestions."

"Well, what about Coronet? Ow! Did you just bite me?"

"I did warn you. It's not my fault if you didn't understand it."

"Well, if Atrum's out of the question…"

"No! No, I like Atrum!" My mind raced and I frantically searched for a way to show my approval before the idiot wandered off to another ridiculous moniker. If only I knew a way to… Oh no. I grimaced and leaned forward. Thinking more positive thoughts, I quickly licked Sam's wrist.

"Ugh, that was disgusting," I said, trying not to gag. Sam didn't notice and he broke out into a grin.

"You _do_ like it," he said, clearly delighted with himself. "I'm glad."

"Your happiness means so much to me. I'd love it if you could just go away now…" Sam reached out his hand to pet me or something.

"I'm going to bite you again if you try and touch me."

"I just know we're going to- ow! Okay, message received. I won't do that again."

"Yeah, well, this was fun, Sam. I can honestly say this was the second best conversation I've ever had. Nice knowing you. So…what happens now?"

"Okay, now that you're awake and have a name I should probably introduce you to the others. Cassie will be back in a while and until then you can just, uh, hang out with Midnight I guess. She'll probably fill you in on the details and you'll probably have a conversation that isn't so one-sided. I hope you're excited about travelling together as I am. Honestly, I'm not sure how long it will take or whether it'll become some sort of full time career. I suppose it could take years to get to the stage where that's a viable option. I haven't thought that much about the future but as long as we stick together I'm sure it'll be great." I blinked.

"Say what?"

(-#-)

**My name is Midnight and this is my side of the story.**

My first impression of Atrum was much like my second one: what the hell was he doing here? I've never met an absol before. I don't know anyone who has – they seldom make an appearance in the wild. They all disappeared over decade ago after the last few human uprisings were quelled and the Legends were pacified. One or two used to emerge to warn of natural disasters but that was a long time ago. The humans resented absol and many pokémon distrust them because of their power and versatility.

That's others though. Among dark types, they are legendary. Powerful, majestic, strong, unyielding, and heroic. In my pack I would hear stories of the absol growing up. I was raised on tales of heroism and might of the enemy of psychics, the liberator of darks. I often dreamed of meeting one. This was not what I had in mind.

I was shocked beyond measure when he stumbled out of the rain and darkness – an absol in the wild, far from his dwelling at the pinnacle of the sacred mountain of Sinnoh. He shuffled out, weakened, bloodstained, with more injuries than I had ever seen on one pokémon. The look in his darkened eyes was…nothing. He stared blankly but I could see the vestiges of fear in the deepest corners of his pupils. It was like he was screaming in his mind but couldn't express it.

The smell was atrocious and overpowering. It was like he had spent six months in an abattoir. Even the heavy rain did little to abate it. It was nearly impossible to discern anything concrete about where he had been; the thick stench of death and blood seemed to obviate my odour sleuths. So I stared at the creature before me and I wondered what the hell it was doing here. I was so distracted I didn't notice Cassie was in danger. I scolded myself at the memory. It was a stupid, incompetent mistake. I was putting my own curiosity before the safety of my trainer. It shouldn't have happened. If the new trainer hadn't been there I don't know what would have happened. I should have paid more attention but I was just so surprised by the absol.

And he managed to surprise me a second time when he woke up without any memories. His mind was wiped clean and he could barely stand upright without tripping over. I had never seen a pokémon as ungraceful as he was. The myth of the absol had apparently been vanquished. I had dreamed of speaking with one. Explaining what genders were was not what I had in mind. The whole thing was so strange and suspicious. Something wasn't right. I intended to find out what it was.

To that end, I swallowed my pride and ignored my prejudice. I pawed the door open and stepped inside a white room with machines and pictures. Instruments and files lay on a table next to a small metal plate. There was a pokémon there – standing in the centre. He was tall as any human and had a similar body save for a long, thick tail that he kept pointing upwards behind his back so it wouldn't knock anything over. He was a bright blue colour all over except for a duck bill and the webbing between the clawed digits on his hands and feet. His head twisted up into four spikes and a shining red gem gleamed on his forehead. There was a damp smell coming from his body. He glanced at me with intelligent, knowing eyes.

"Can I help you?" he asked, his voice rich and cultured as a golduck could sound. I shut the door behind me and fixed him with a glare.

"The name's Midnight," I told him. "And yes, you can." He nodded once.

"You can call me Rubix," the golduck told me.

"I can call you whatever I want," I retorted. "I hate dealing with psychics." He raised the equivalent of an eyebrow.

"I'm not a psychic." I scowled at him.

"You know psychic moves, you read minds, you see the future and you can communicate using telepathy. That makes you a psychic. It doesn't matter what the humans say about it. You managed to escape classification but don't think that changes what you are. After all, slowpoke are technically psychic type but no way are they psychic." He looked at me curiously.

"You have a strange view of the world." He adopted a more formal expression. "How may I help?"

"The absol in the other room."

"Ah yes. An intriguing case. I've rarely seen so many injuries on a single pokémon – even from serious battles. Bruises, cuts, lacerations, broken bones and even bullet wounds. Frankly it's remarkable he got as far as he did." He sighed. "Still, he'll have plenty of time to rest; with those injuries he'll probably be out for about a week."

"He's awake and walking," I said. The golduck's head snapped towards me, his eyes wide with shock. "Yeah, I know."

"What happened to him?" he asked, his tone hopeful and curious.

"He doesn't remember."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"He can't remember anything that happened before he woke up here in the centre. Everything is blank." The golduck frowned and shook his head.

"That's…not possible. He must be lying."

"He isn't."

"Can you be sure? Dark types are astoundingly adept at deceiving others." He hesitated. "Not that I meant any offense to you." I growled.

"He's not lying. No one's that good a liar." The golduck scratched the bottom of his bill with one claw of his webbed hand. He thought for a few moments before speaking again.

"There are certain conditions that are categorised by memory loss," he commented, "but they occur exclusively in humans. A pokémon has never suffered from retrograde amnesia before. In theory, we shouldn't be able to: our brains are too different from humans. Certain genetic mental disorders have been observed in pokémon and there is a theory that dementia could set in if the pokémon is old enough but amnesia simply does not occur."

"In that case," I replied, "I'll have to get you to explain what _has_ occurred." The golduck fell silent.

"May I see him?" I strolled over to the door and knocked on it with my paw.

"Atrum," I said. "You can come in now." There was a short pause before Atrum peered inside. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of the golduck. He glanced at me, leaned in and whispered.

"Is he supposed to be blue?"

"Yes, Atrum."

"Right. Just checking." The absol shuffled over to the psychic – falling over as he tangled up his paws. Eventually he just sighed and sat down. Rubix strode over to him and he flinched back. The movement didn't escape my attention.

"Midnight has informed me you don't know who you are," Rubix stated matter-of-factly. He seemed fascinated.

"That's correct, blue human thing." He paused, glancing at me for a moment. I shot him a look as he raised his almost-eyebrow again.

"Actually, I'm a golduck," he said, turning back again to Atrum.

"Right." He moved to examine Atrum's eyes but the absol flinched back again.

"My eyes are fine," he asserted. "Besides, what could you possibly see in them that would explain this?" The golduck didn't comment but he did move away. He turned his head to me.

"Could you get me that-?"

"Get it yourself," I interrupted him coldly. Atrum shot me a look of surprise and the golduck sighed as he strode over to the wall. One webbed hand went up and pried some pictures from a board on the wall. He slumped into a chair and flicked through them as he scratched his bill. It was very much human behaviour but I suppose that's what happens when you spend so long living in the city with humans. You start to resemble them. Disjointed mumblings emerged from his mouth and Atrum leaned into me again.

"What's he saying?"

"Medical jargon," I answered, not understanding it myself.

"There was considerable trauma to the area of the skull above the hippocampus," Rubix finally said. Atrum and I exchanged a look of confusion but I decided to let him continue. "I suppose that…_might_ have caused this…combined with the immense psychological trauma…though that's hardly my field of expertise. I don't know if it's anyone's field of expertise. Perhaps it should be." I barked impatiently at Rubix and made him jump. He fidgeted with the pictures and stood up.

"So…" Atrum began. "Will I ever get my memories back?" Rubix titled his head in uncertainty, crossing his arms as a thoughtful expression crossed his face.

"This is the first case of pokémon amnesia so I have no idea what to expect. But in the case of humans…well, sometimes the lost memories return in time and sometimes they don't." We all fell silent. I nodded in understanding and turned to the absol. He looked just as confused as ever but there was a hint of sadness to his expression now.

"Why don't you head back to the others?" I suggested. "I'll be with you in a few more minutes." Atrum nodded sombrely and plodded outside. I watched him leave and paused. Rubix looked at me suspiciously as I turned to him.

"Was there something else?" he asked. My expression turned serious.

"How much does your trainer know about this?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. Answer the question." He paused, his face unreadable.

"He's the only doctor that treated your absol friend and one of the only ones who knows he was even here. I knew an absol would attract attention that would be both irritating and bad for the patient's recovery. He knows the extent of the absol's injuries and has come to the conclusion that it's the work of pokémon hunters."

"And what conclusion have you come to?"

"The intention of pokémon hunters is to keep their quarry alive. This absol looked like it had been ravaged by the legions of hell. And yet he recovered entirely within a few days. Add to that his amnesia and apparently lack of muscular coordination…" He slowly shook his head. "This wasn't hunters. This was something else entirely." I nodded. I thought as much.

"Let's keep this between us." My statement surprised him.

"Why?" I shrugged.

"Atrum's confused and doesn't know what's happening. But he seems like a nice pokémon. If other people knew about what happened there would be media attention, police, researchers. He doesn't need that. He'd hate it. He's not a threat to anyone and as long as he remains that way then I'll do whatever I can to make his life as easy as I can."

"But there's another reason…" I scowled at the golduck.

"How'd you know that?" He smiled coyly.

"I don't need to be able to read your mind to read your face." I gritted my teeth.

"Damn psychics." My face fell, my eyes turned towards the floor as some unpleasant memories resurfaced. "I don't want any attention directed at my trainer and my team-mate. This is their escape. The last thing they need right now is attention."

"You care for them deeply." I grimaced as my expression grew even darker. More memories resurfaced. I could see things so clearly in my mind. I could see the flashing lights as the police car moved away. I could hear myself screaming so loudly and so clearly but getting no response. Once more I felt the shame, the guilt and the knowledge that I had let down my only friends.

"I failed them once before," I muttered. "I won't do it again." The golduck shot me a curious look of appraisal.

"You are a very unusual pokémon," he said. "I very much hope to see you again." I was halfway to the door before I replied without looking back.

"You won't."

(-#-)

**Atrum**

It was daylight. The sun was rising slowly through the sky and painting an incandescent canvas with strokes of gold, orange, blue – so many colours staining the fabric of the atmosphere. And the blazing sun in the centre: impossibly big and amazingly bright. It pained my eyes to look at it but it was such an incredible sight that I couldn't help but stare, wide-eyed with wonder and awe. I had never seen it before. I had never seen the sun rise. I knew what it was, I knew enough words to formulate a description of it but I had never seen it before. How was that possible?

The golduck told me my memories might never return. I wasn't sure how to feel about that. There was nothing for me to miss. Friends, families, good times and bad times were all forgotten. I didn't even feel sad about it. How could I when I didn't know what to feel sad about? You can't miss something you don't know.

I frowned and shook my head as I stared out the window of the building. I didn't like all this angst so I decided to just focus on the pretty colours in the sky. It was much more satisfying that mental turmoil and uncertainty. My ears twitched as I suddenly became aware of not being alone. I twisted my head around.

"Oh," I said. "It's you." The human female, Cassie, stood leaning against the wall. She had her arms crossed and looked at me.

"Hey there," she said.

"Uh, hi," I replied suspiciously. A few glances around me confirmed Midnight's absence. Cassie took a step forward and I flinched back. She frowned for a moment but took a step back. She got it. She sat down on the floor and rooted into her pocket. Her hand came back out and a strange object was with it: a rectangular object. She slowly began to peel away a layer of colourful material from the object, talking as she did so.

"What I figure is that you spent pretty much your whole life up on that mountain with an absol colony," she said calmly, focusing on the object instead of me. I instantly liked her. "Which means you've probably never tasted chocolate before." She revealed a brick of dark-brown substance, broke off a segment, and tossed it over to me. She then took a bite of what was remaining. I sniffed the piece of chocolate suspiciously but the aroma was too exquisite to ignore. I picked it up and ate it – relishing the taste as the food melted in my mouth and inflamed my sense of taste. This was the first thing I had eaten but I had already sworn off everything different. From now on I was only eating chocolate.

"You wouldn't happen to have any more of that would you?" Cassie seemed to understand me in some way so she tossed the remainder of the chocolate at me. I savoured it and listened intently as she spoke.

"You know my name is Cassie," she said. "You've met Midnight and soon you'll meet Alice. Though she might not be very enthusiastic about talking to you; she's pretty shy. I don't know exactly how much you know about human civilisation-"

"Absolutely nothing."

"-but you'll be training, battling other pokémon and basically following your trainer's directions. That means you'll have to listen to Sam." We sighed in unison – but for different reasons. "He's just starting out and has no idea what he's doing but he seems like a good person. Just bear with him. Don't fight with team-mates, don't hurt anyone you don't need to and don't wander off." She paused at that last point. "I don't know what drove you down from Spear Pillar and I don't know what happened to you on that mountain. But we're going to look after you now. You're part of the team and as long as you stick to the rules you'll have a home here." I paused.

"Thank you," I replied, equal parts surprised and touched. She nodded. Midnight strode into the room and made her way towards Cassie, giving me a quick glance.

"You okay?" she asked. I shrugged. Sam came into the room as well and started talking to Cassie about more stuff. It was very difficult to listen to. Midnight strolled over and for the first time I noticed someone else. Practically buried in Cassie's clothes, the head of a small creature poked out.

"How many heads do humans have?" I asked Midnight.

"What?" I pointed. "Oh, that's just Alice."

"I was beginning to think she was just imaginary." Midnight gave a look of sympathy.

"She's just shy. Alice? Do you want to come over here and say hello to out new team-mate?" There was a slight movement and a pair of timid red eyes peered out for a moment. Then they vanished and Midnight shot me an apologetic look. "Really shy."

"Are we ready to go?" I heard Sam ask.

"I think so," Cassie replied. "We've got your trainer licence sorted out and we have enough money to get two train tickets. We don't have much but it will last until we get to Oreburgh at least." More words I didn't understand.

"Don't worry," Midnight said to me, somehow sensing my confusion. "You'll pick things up soon enough." I wasn't overly confident about that but Midnight sounded so encouraging that it was hard not to believe her. Sam and Cassie led the way but it was obvious they were nervous.

"So where are we going to train for Gardenia?" Sam asked.

"We're heading to Oreburgh first," Cassie replied. "We'll take the train down and challenge Eterna."

"Wouldn't it make more sense to stay here and challenge the grass type gym instead of going down and fighting a more difficult type and then coming back here?" Cassie scowled at him.

"Of course not! This is the second gym. Oreburgh is the first. You have to challenge them in that order or else it just…wouldn't make sense. First goes before second!"

"But the numbers are arbitrary!"

"There're still _there_! I'm not doing this backwards – there needs to be logic in our pattern." Sam stared at Cassie with his mouth agape. I glanced up at my trainer and saw the expression on his face. It looked like he had made a horrible, horrible mistake. I sniggered but my laughter vanished when we stepped outside into the human city. My mouth slowly hung agape and my eyes widened as I stared at the sight before. Huge towering contraptions of metal, stone and glass surrounded us and ravaged the skyline with their might.

The ground couldn't even be seen because of the immense crowds that filled the area. Humans and pokémon bustled and shuffled and shouted and whispered as they moved in every direction. Dozens, hundreds of creatures that scattered throughout this human city. My eyes darted back and forth, just waiting for one of them to attack me. Paranoia raged in me. In my mind, every single creature stared at me.

I frowned, suddenly noticing that a lot of them were. Sam and Cassie walked on – not realising the looks of fear and animosity our group was receiving. They were too busy arguing with each other. I saw the humans and pokémon glare at us. I shirked back next to Midnight as we walked through the cloud of disdain.

"Why don't they like us?" I asked the mightyena. Her lips curled into a fearsome scowl.

"Psychics did this to us," she muttered angrily, bitterly. "They made us outcasts. Us, ghosts, bugs – any pokémon that could harm them. They demonised us. They whispered lies and falsehoods over generations and turned everyone against us. Humans are disgusted by bugs, they fear ghosts and they hate darks. We got it the worst; even other pokémon distrust us." Her scowl was dark and cold. A far cry from her friendly encouragement. It made me nervous. She shook her head and glared at the ones who stared at us. An occasional growl, guttural and low in her throat, ensured no one said anything. Even with their silence I could see their suspicion, their fear, their revulsion of us who were different. Of us, who treaded in shadows and the humans who shared our presence.

It wasn't a pleasant experience, skulking out of the city while avoiding the frantic glares of the humans and the narrowed eyes of the pokémon. The pokémon were all different colours, shapes and sizes. Some soared through the air while some trudged along the ground. Some darted back and forth or bounded up and down. Wings, tendrils, arms, legs, pincers and multiple limbs all adorned the bodies of the pokémon. The humans, in contrast, looked much the same – save for a few aesthetic differences. I was relying on their clothes, their hair length and their size to tell them apart.

Despite the palpable feeling of enmity amongst the other inhabitants, I couldn't help but feel enjoyment. I was enthralled by the sights and sounds of this wondrously vibrant new world. The thought briefly occurred to me that I might have done all this before. I may have walked down these streets before, seen the reactions. I could have had a long life filled with happiness. Alternatively, I could have had a terrible life full of hardship. It didn't matter either way. I had a new life now and whether it was my first or my second (or more) I had to take what I had been given.

I walked down the road out of Eterna City with my new friend by my side. Her trainer, Cassie, and team-mate, Alice trudged along ahead of us with Sam: my own trainer. We stopped momentarily at a sign as we cleared the city and after a quick scan I saw it read: Route 206. With one last nervous glance between the two humans who were leading us, we left the comfort of the city and took the first steps on our journey.

Whatever it was.

(-#-)

Rubix stared. He held the x-ray in his webbed hands and scrutinised it with his gaze. He sighed and turned his attention to a metal plate lying on a table. The gem on his forehead glowed in unison with his eyes. The object on the plate floated over to the golduck and he grabbed it from the air.

He had told his trainer, Ryan, nothing. The absol's arrival was bigger than anything else. It was important – so very important that he be allowed to leave. Soon, others would notice his presence and come here. The absol had to be gone when that happened.

Rubix glanced down at the bullet in his hand. The bullet he had pried from the absol's brain. The bullet that should have killed him even if his body hadn't been verging on falling to pieces. Rubix gulped, aware that soon things would reach a climax. He swallowed the bullet to remove any evidence of the absol. Soon, he would destroy any written record.

Rubix closed his eyes and concentrated. His gem glowed as he used his telepathy to send a message. The message was brief.

_I have found him. I have found The One._


	4. Continuation

_Beta-Reader: The Puppeteer's Ghost_

* * *

**Chapter 4: Continuation**

* * *

**Midnight**

I don't like trains. Enclosed spaces filled with strangers. A fast moving carriage with no readily available exit. The irritatingly loud noise of the moving train. The lack of fresh air and dirt below my paws. For me, trains will always be uncomfortable, unnecessary death-carriages. I was not enthusiastic about travelling in one for the second time in the space of a few days. I sat on the floor beside Cassie's feet. Atrum was beside me – constantly turning and twisting to try and get comfortable. Sam and Cassie were sitting in the ugly red seats above us and Alice was curled up in Cassie's lap. To pass the time, Cassie was telling Sam everything she thought he needed to know about being a trainer. There was a lot to know and he looked overwhelmed.

"The pokédex shows information about pokémon including their level and the moves they know," Cassie explained as he examined the black and red device. "They're pretty expensive so until you save up enough money to buy one, you can just share mine."

"Thanks," he replied. Cassie blinked, then shrugged. I think she was surprised by his gratitude.

"So," I heard Atrum mutter. I turned to face him and he looked at me with the same expression of mild but perpetual confusion he always seemed to wear. "Where are we going?"

"The next city is Oreburgh," I told him – remembering what Cassie had told us. She had spent hours going over everything in Sinnoh in front of me and Alice. We had to remember some of it.

"And we're going there to…"

"To challenge the gym," I finished. A frown creased the absol's forehead.

"That's it?" I shrugged.

"I'm sure there are other things to do there but the gym is Cassie's priority." Atrum wrinkled his forehead and closed his eyes for a second as he tried to remember something.

"Because we're challenging the gyms," I prompted.

"Right."

"And the first gym is in Oreburgh."

"What else is there?"

"The mine would probably be the biggest thing. Well, it used to be a mine. When it ran dry they converted it into a prison." Atrum blinked.

"What's yours?" His ignorance made me sigh.

"No, not mine. _The_ mine." Atrum blinked again and I realised he wouldn't know what that was. This would take some getting used to. "You see…humans sometimes dig big holes in the ground so they can find things that are underground and use them."

"What do they find?"

"Lots of things: fossils, artefacts. But mostly coal."

"What do they use that for?"

"They burn it." Atrum looked at me strangely as the look of confusion on his face grew even more pronounced.

"So… they take it out of the ground… and then they burn it?" I paused for a moment.

"I don't really know much of the details." He shook his head.

"That doesn't make sense at all."

"I know."

"Are all humans so stupid?" I hesitated, unsure of what reply I could give him. Atrum simply stared at me with his big, innocent eyes and waited for the answer when he barely understood the question. How was I supposed to tell him of wars, genocide, torture, devastation and that thing called Twilight that Cassie despises so much? I wanted to narrow down centuries of conflict and call humans good or bad or smart or stupid. I couldn't. They were all those things and more; they were so incredibly contradictory. They were a lot like pokémon.

"Not all of them," I finally said, stealing a glance up at my trainer. "Not all." Cassie caught my eye for just a moment before she turned back to Sam. Some people thought I was too protective, too obsessive of Alice and my trainer. They were wrong; they were fools. They didn't _understand_. Cassie and Alice were my responsibility. I had to look after them; I had to make sure they were safe. No one would come between my and my duty. This new trainer seemed nice but I wouldn't hesitate to get rid of him if he began to pose a threat. As for Atrum…the absol could barely stand up unassisted. He wouldn't be a problem – at least not directly. The circumstances around his capture worried me though. Nothing about it made any sense. Still, I got the feeling that Atrum wasn't hiding anything from me. He just had that look about him – the constant look of confusion and innocence. It was like talking to a puppy.

A wrenching groan reverberated throughout the carriage as the train slowed and eventually came to a stop. All three pokémon winced from the pain of the loud noise but Atrum wasn't expecting it. He gave a moan and rubbed his ears. As the noise faded I began to hear Sam and Cassie arguing.

"You don't know anything about the theory side," Cassie protested. The five of us stood got up and shuffled out of the rusty doors as they jerked open with varying speeds. Sam and Cassie led the way and continued to bicker.

"It's a battle," Sam muttered, pinching the brow of his nose and sounding frustrated as usual. "I don't need to know the technical side of things; I just need to know what attacks Atrum can use."

"Don't oversimplify things!" Cassie shot back, scowl deepening and arms crossed. "I studied for years and memorised facts and strategies."

"I don't have time for that!"

"Hey!" We both stopped and turned to see a girl with a pikachu on her shoulder. The small crowd of people had all dissipated in different directions and we stood far away from the platform so that the ground had become dirt rather than concrete. She looked at Sam and Cassie with a bemused expression, hands on her waist. "Are you trainers?" The two humans looked at each other and nodded.

"Yes," Sam replied. The new trainer smiled.

"Great, I'm Kayla." She glanced at the pikachu on her shoulder. "You're up." He nodded and jumped down. She scrutinized us both. "So which one of you am I battling?"

"Me," Sam exclaimed. Cassie glared at him.

"You?" Sam met her glare.

"Me." Cassie's scowl deepened and her eyes narrowed. The vein on her forehead throbbed ever so slightly. Sam returned her gaze with a stony expression. It seemed like there was electricity between them. The air was so tense and from the depth of their expressions I couldn't tell if they were aware what was happening around them.

"Atrum," Sam said, calmly staring down my trainer. "Get ready."

"Huh?" I turned to the absol and nudged him forwards. His expression turned from confused to anxious as he slowly and apprehensively shuffled over to the pikachu. The electric type nodded at him. His red cheek patches charged and crackled with electricity. Atrum gulped.

"Hi," he said with a nervous smile. "Uh, I'm Atrum and I'm new at this so if you could just talk me through whatever we're doing here then that would be just great." I groaned. The pikachu raised an eyebrow and looked at him strangely.

"Are you for real?" he asked gruffly. Then he turned to me. "Is he for real?" I sighed and gave an apologetic look.

"Unfortunately yes," I told the electric type.

"Did he…hit his head, or something?"

"In a way." The pikachu shrugged.

"Doesn't make a difference to me," he muttered and blasted Atrum with a lightning strike from his cheeks. Atrum shrieked and fell backwards, some of his fur sizzling slightly with the power of the electricity. His waved his limbs frantically and shot his opponent a look of betrayal.

"Ow!" he yelled. "What are you doing? I'm trying to have a conversation and you just hit me!" This time the pikachu didn't respond – instead, he shot forward and slammed into the absol, knocking him over again.

"Atrum!" I yelled. "Get up and attack him!" Unfortunately, Sam was shouting too.

"Dodge the attacks, Atrum!" he shouted, much louder than necessary. "Run around and don't let him hit you!" Cassie came in to the conversation as well as she reprimanded Sam.

"That's a stupid tactic!" she said. "He can't just run around in circles and _hope_ to win the battle. He needs to use some status moves." She turned and started shouting at Atrum. "Use double team!"

"He doesn't even know double team!" Sam retorted as he looked up from the pokédex.

"Well then, use leer!"

"Stop it! He's my pokémon. Don't use leer, Atrum! Use…uh…um…scratch!"

"Don't use scratch!" I told him. "Use quick attack!"

"Don't use anything," the pikachu told him as he fired off a few more lightning bolts. "Just keep standing there." The contradictory yells and shouts from all of us seemed to leave the absol in so much more confusion. He weakly tried to scratch at the same time as moving out of the way and leering. He ended up tripping over and crying out in frustration.

"Argh! I'm having a five-way conversation here and it is _not_ working!" The pikachu dealt him a few more hits until Atrum shouted out, "I surrender" and limped away from the field.

"Congratulations on your victory," Cassie snarked. "I'm in awe of your talents. Look out, Cynthia." Sam shot her a furious glare but didn't respond.

"Let's go," he muttered, walking away. Cassie scowled as she followed him with Alice trailing after her. Atrum shuffled over to me.

"What was _that_ about?" he asked me.

"That was a battle. We all told you that you'd be battling."

"I thought it would be more of an intellectual battle – a battle of wits."

"Would you be any better at those?"

"No, but when I lost at least only my ego would be bruised rather than _everything else_."

"You didn't enjoy that?"

"I just got beaten up. Was I supposed to?" His attitude astounded me. Pokémon were built to battle. It was part of our identity. It was how we bonded, kept fit, got stronger, dealt with conflicts, showed leadership. Even if we lost we felt the rush of adrenaline that went with every fight. We learned something new – even if it was just a new way of falling down. I supposed Atrum just wasn't a battler and the rest of the day confirmed it.

We were in four more battles before we reached Oreburgh City and Atrum lost every one of them. Sam looked more disparaged at every failure. I was surprised too; I had never seen a pokémon so terrible at fighting. I hoped the gym battle would restore their faith somewhat. I hoped, but I doubted it would happen.

(*)

Night had just fallen when we reached Oreburgh City. Its differences from Eterna were obvious to us all when we trailed into the dark and sleepy city. It was a strange contrast to the ancient but vibrant and bustling metropolis of Eterna. Oreburgh had a far more peaceful ambience. The faint aroma of evergreen trees flowed through the air – covering up the smoky, gritty vestiges of the city's history as a mining town.

We were going to the pokémon centre first to get a room to stay the night and in the morning we would challenge the gym. There was much less people in Oreburgh and they were all happy to let us go on our way. Our group didn't attract the stares we had in Eterna. The few people and pokémon that strolled along just ignored us.

"There's a distinct lack of everyone hating us here," Atrum commented, sounding sort of pleased and sort of nervous at our unimpeded progress through the city.

"Well, it's a more liberal city," I told him. "Sinnoh…that's where we are now."

"Oh, okay."

"Sinnoh is ancient. It's the oldest region known and apparently it's where human civilisation began. The people here tend to be very conservative and superstitious – especially in the north and east. But cities like Oreburgh, Hearthome and Jubilife are much newer, more tolerant and have a more varied population in terms of nationality, religion and you have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Not as such, no." Thankfully, we reached the pokémon centre before the conversation developed any more. The doors slid open when we approached. It was getting dark by now so the centre was all but empty save for the few trainers who were staying the night in Oreburgh. Pokémon centres provided rooms for trainers to stay in. It was nothing fancy but it sure was convenient. Sam went over to the front desk to get rooms for tonight and Atrum trailed after him. Alice was still staying close to Cassie, holding on tightly to her leg. I caught her eye and wandered over.

"Alice?" I asked. "Are you okay?" She shook her head, not meeting my gaze but staring at the ground instead. I fell silent, waiting for her to say something.

"It's not just us anymore," she finally mumbled. "There's this new boy and the absol and…" She gazed up at me with two wide and fearful eyes. Looking at her, I could see everything that had happened. I could see all the pain of the night we all lost our home. The day we lost Sally. "I'm scared, Midnight. What if they're…?"

"They're not like him," I said, calmly and firmly. "They're not like Paul." She paused, glanced away, and nodded. Cassie entered the first room and placed her backpack on the bed before leaving and entering the room opposite hers. There, Sam lay on the small single bed and watched television. Atrum lay curled up at the edge of the bed gazing intently at the television screen, probably trying to figure out what it was.

"We should go look around the gym," Cassie said. Sam nodded in agreement.

"You're probably right," he said, to which Cassie frowned.

"What do you mean 'probably'? Am I right or not?" Sam groaned and opened his mouth to start another argument but Cassie had already turned away. He gritted his teeth and rubbed his temples.

"Come on," my trainer said to us. Alice and I both turned to go when Sam spoke again.

"The gym's nearby," he said. "We don't need to bring our pokémon – we can just leave them here." Cassie choked.

"Leave them here," she spluttered nervously, "and go with ourselves- by ourselves, not with them?"

"It's only for a few minutes," Sam said. "They'll be fine. We won't be long." Cassie tossed me an anguished look. She was shaking ever so slightly and she tugged on a strand of hair. I nodded slowly.

"Don't worry," I told her. She may not have understood exactly what I said but the meaning came across through my tone of voice. My trainer gulped and nodded, turning back to Sam.

"Okay," she said. He glanced at both of us, impressed and confused by her ability to understand me. Cassie and I were connected in a way he couldn't understand. We had spent most of our lives together. I had grown up in her home with her and Alice…and the others. I shook my head. This wasn't the time for reminiscing. Cassie gazed at me and Alice one more time before she shuffled out the door. Sam followed her but looked back at Atrum.

"Are you going to be okay while I'm gone?" he asked.

"I guess I'll find out when you leave," the absol replied without moving or glancing away from the television. Sam frowned and reached for the remote control. Atrum's head snapped up and he fixed his trainer with a glare. It looked a little silly; like he wasn't accustomed to being mad.

"Leave it on," he warned. "It's worth more to me than you are." Sam got the hint and left the room looking frustrated and confused. He closed the door behind him and left us with the sound of the television blaring. Atrum had resumed his position of being stretched out on the floor with his limbs flailing out in what seemed like uncomfortable ways. Every now and again he would frown and turn slightly – twisting one way or the other. It was amusing to watch at first but I soon realised this display was just because he couldn't remember how to sit comfortably. Then it became tragic.

Alice settled in beside me and leaned into my fur. I left her there for a moment.

"Well?" I said. Alice looked up at me.

"What?" she asked. I tilted my head towards Atrum. "Oh. Yeah." I raised an eyebrow. She sighed and, after taking a deep breath, began to walk towards Atrum. I strolled after her but only to make sure everything was okay. I knew this would make her uncomfortable but it was good. Making new friends would improve her confidence.

She stood by idly for a few seconds as she tugged on her feathers. It took Atrum some time to realise she was there. He drowsily lifted his head and blinked a few times at her. He drew back slightly, wary at her sudden presence.

"Yeah?" he asked cautiously. Alice paled and went to turn away but I stopped her with a firm glare and a shake of my head. She gulped and opened her mouth.

"Atrum," she muttered, her voice timid and broken. She cleared her throat and spoke again, still looking extremely uncomfortable. "I just wanted to say that…" She trailed off when she realised Atrum wasn't paying attention. Looking closer at Atrum, I saw his eyes had gone wide and he was sitting up, rigid. Following his gaze, I looked at the television screen. I couldn't read the subtitles at the bottom at the screen but the picture and the newscaster's words told me everything I needed to know.

At the peak of Mount Coronet, there had been a horrific massacre of pokémon. The camera panned over the corpses what looked like pokémon; clefairy, golbat, medicham, chingling, noctowl, abomasnow. Each one looked like they had been ripped to pieces. But the most shocking thing was that for each dead pokémon, there were at least two dead absol. The newscaster's voice informed us that – through unknown means – the absol population of Mount Coronet had been completely wiped out.


	5. Endeavour

_Beta-Reader: The Puppeteer's Ghost_

* * *

**Chapter 5: Endeavour**

* * *

**Atrum**

I stared transfixed at the glowing screen, watching the images flash and hearing the noises blare. The image of the human woman spoke, or at least her mouth moved. I heard nothing. The mouth moved and the pictures changed but no sound reached my ears after that first announcement. I saw, out of the corner of my eye, Midnight stare at me. Her mouth moved but then the door opened and the humans' arrival interrupted her.

"Are you honestly telling me you can't make it downstairs without your pokémon?" I heard Sam ask with incredulity. Cassie retorted. Sam counter-retorted. Midnight barked and Alice stared at me. I didn't look, I didn't listen. My body seemed to go too limp for me to move. I stayed where I was – not moving as Cassie stormed out and brought her pokémon with me. I stayed in that position and ignored Sam when he spoke to me. He retired to bed and I tried to sleep as well – to no effect.

A barrage of thoughts and possibilities assaulted me whenever I closed my eyes. The gaping hole where my memories should have been weighed heavily on my mind. I tossed and turned, moving every way to try and get comfortable and (maybe) get some sleep. My restless head seemed to prevent it so I lay awake – lying on my back and staring up at the faded, dusty ceiling. I don't remember sleeping at all. I think I must have though.

I sat up and strolled over to the window. It was too dirty to see out of so instead I was confronted with my own reflection. A dark-blue/snow-white face stared back at me. It hadn't occurred to me before this moment but I didn't know what I looked like. I had never looked into my own eyes. The blood-red colour seemed to taunt me – reminded me of what I had lost and how I had been found. In my own eyes I saw the blood of my family. They glinted and for a moment I thought I had heard someone whisper.

"You can't sleep either." Sam's voice reached my ears. I glanced back at my esteemed trainer to see him sitting up in bed and looking at me.

"Obviously," I replied, but my heart wasn't in it. The news report had shocked me – more than I had let on to the others. It wasn't just the thought I might never meet another absol, that I may never regain my memories, that my family and friends were all dead. It was the guilt I felt for feeling no guilt. I didn't mourn them because I couldn't remember them. I wasn't even sure why I hadn't joined them in death. I didn't know how I was still alive. Of course, I couldn't tell Sam any of this. Even if he could understand me I wouldn't tell him.

"It's still dark out," he commented. I shrugged.

"Doesn't make a difference to me."

"I'm going downstairs for walk. Do you want to come?"

"Why not? I don't have anything better to do and I'm not going to sleep." He blinked, not understanding. I groaned and made my way towards the door, tripping slightly as I turned around and started to walk. Sam gently closed the door behind us when we emerged in the corridor. I saw him blink and rub his eyes slightly to adjust to the darkness. I had no problem seeing and remembered what Midnight had said about me being a dark type. I wondered what type humans were.

Sam's footsteps echoed in the corridor as we trailed along. My own movements were much quieter (is that a word or should it be more quiet?) but I moved unsteadily, clumsily. I had to concentrate not to fall over and it still felt to me like I had four limbs too many. Midnight walked so confidently and Alice always seemed nimble and agile. Then again, I suppose they could remember doing it for years.

Stairs were problematic. We had risen up in the metal elevator earlier but Sam took the stairs down and I followed him. I managed the first few steps alright (if a little clumsy and tentative) but my trembling paws led me to misstep. I tumbled down the hard surface of the stairs and landed on my face. Winded, I lay there for a moment and heard Sam run down after me. I sighed, then heard something new. A voice. Faint and somehow tinged with static. I blinked and stood up slowly, making sure not to tangle my legs as I did so. By now Sam was here. I heard him asking me if I was okay. He seemed concerned. I ignored him and shuffled over to the source of the noise. I turned the corner and Sam followed me – not knowing exactly what I was doing.

I turned a corner and the hallway widened into a room. It was fairly large but looked cosy. The walls, decorated by pictures and photographs, were painted a pleasant bright green colour that brought to mind a meadow of grass. A few chairs and tables were scattered around in a haphazard fashion along with several multi-coloured, slightly worn pillows. The pillows had all been moved to a couch near the centre of the room. They weren't the only things on the couch. Three pokémon and a human all lounged on the sofa with the pillows around them.

The pokémon were all smaller than I was and they were all radically different. One was a yellow, stripy creature that tingled with electricity. Small, yet bulky, it boasted two large extensions from the top of its head. The second one was taller and covered with light brown fur, big ears, big eyes, big hands, and a big mouth. It was lanky, springy, gangly, and on fire. This alarmed me at first but since it didn't appear to affect the pokémon, I supposed it was a natural thing. The third one was the smallest of all: a reptilian creature with bright-blue scales and a head-covering that looked like a seashell. Stubby arms and an open mouth suggested a somewhat dim-witted creature. The dopey expression on its face and the way it waddled seemed to confirm it.

The human was in the middle of them. My limited knowledge of humans meant I couldn't distinguish it very well from others but a few features stuck out. It looked vaguely like Sam in terms of age and build but the attire was different; the stranger wore darker material on his legs and a golden pelt around his torso. An odd-looking piece of clothing rested, tilted slightly, on the wavy blonde hair on his head. His arms were folded back behind his head and one leg was resting on the other. It looked like an incredibly uncomfortable position but he didn't seem to mind.

A strange device, lying on the table before them, was emitting the strange-sounding voices I could hear from outside. No I was up close I could distinguish the voice better and heard a human talk about forest fires in a place called Floaroma. Apparently they were presumed to be from an unknown wild fire pokémon – probably a magmar or houndoom. Whatever they were.

One of the pokémon (the smallest one) suddenly let out a whine. The stranger's half-shut eyes opened fully and he twisted his head around without moving from where he was. The little pokémon tugged at his human's arm and whined again.

"I'm hungry," it…he complained. "Feed me!" The trainer smiled and his whole face rearranged as he did so. His eyebrows ascended and a few faint wrinkles (barely perceptible) appeared around his eyes. His mouth widened into an enormous grin and I thought for a moment his whole face might split apart from the extremity of his smile. There was something so obviously genuine to be seen in his expression as he looked down at his pokémon. You could tell he cared about them.

The smiling stranger laughed and moved his arms down to rustle in a large backpack. My nostrils flared as I smelled it before I saw it. With narrowed eyes and moist lips I watched the trainer retrieve a bar of delicious chocolate from his bag. The other two pokémon instantly turned to watch as well. There was silence but for the sound of him snapping the chocolate into smaller pieces. That sharp snap made me drool. Wait, no – salivate. Salivate sounds better.

"Are you going to come over or just stand there watching?" The trainer startled us both as he spoke without warning. Sam and I glanced at each other and I shrugged.

"Nice cowboy hat," my trainer eventually commented. The stranger's grin grew even wider. One hand went up and tipped the hat to us.

"Thanks," he replied jovially. His expression changed and his smile grew somewhat more reserved. "Nice absol."

"Where?" I wondered as I glanced around me.

"Where did you find him?" the stranger asked

"Mount Coronet." There was no hesitation in my trainer's reply – no change in facial expression that might indicate he was hiding something; that there was something more to the story. Sam was surprisingly good at lying. I suppose everyone has to have a talent. The stranger nodded, looking impressed.

"I'm impressed," he said. "Absol are rare and hard to catch."

"You have some rare ones yourself." His head cocked back like something had occurred to him.

"These are my pokémon: Zeus the elekid, Ember the monferno, and Charlie the bagon."

"Zeus, Ember…and Charlie?" The stranger shrugged.

"Trade."

"Ah."

"And I'm Jesse Filligan." He smirked. "You might have heard of me. I'm kind of a big deal."

"Uh…I don't-" The human Jesse gave a patronising smile and raised his palms.

"It's okay. Don't feel intimidated by my presence…"

"Sam Jacobs. This is Atrum." The mention of my name made me look around.

"Huh?" I asked. My eyes had been fixed on the chocolate in Jesse's hand for about a minute now. He noticed.

"You want some chocolate?" he asked.

"Yes!" Sam looked hesitant.

"I don't know if he'd like it…"

"No! Shut up! Don't listen to my trainer!"

"He seems pretty emphatic about wanting some," Jesse said. Sam scrutinised me.

"You think so?"

"Just give me some chocolate!" Thankfully, my trainer relented, and Jesse tossed me a square of chocolate which I gobbled up the moment it hit the ground.

"Oh yeah," I muttered, closing my eyes as the chocolate melted in my mouth. "That's the spot." Someone coughed. My eyes shot open to see the yellow pokémon before me.

"Uh, hi," I said suspiciously. It…he smiled bashfully.

"Hey there," he said. "I'm Zeus."

"Atrum," I replied, giving him a sceptical look and wondering what he was planning. For his part he just kept smiling. The other two pokémon popped up behind him and looked at me. The small one who wanted chocolate stared at me.

"What are you?" he asked. The flaming one smacked him across the face.

"Charlie!" she scowled. "That's rude! Don't say things like that!" The small one – Charlie, apparently – looked sheepishly at it…_her_.

"I was just curious," he muttered. "Sorry, Ember."

"Can't you see he's a dark type?" she replied. Charlie considered this for a moment. He tilted his head screwed up his forehead in thought. I watched him scratch his chin with one stumpy limb before his eyes widened. He shot me a look – one of apprehension, of suspicion.

"Are you going to hurt us?" he asked timidly. Charlie slapped him again.

"That's just a myth!" she said. "Darks aren't really like that." A flash of doubt crossed the female's face as she stole a nervous glance towards me. "Right?" I felt like she had slapped me instead of Charlie. I had barely said two words and already I was treated with suspicion. Midnight's bitterness didn't seem far from being justified. Tired of the conversation, I averted my eyes and trudged over to the humans. They seemed to be bonding quite well. I lay down on the floor by their feet. It was fairly comfortable so I only listened to half of what they said.

I blinked as a small flash of light hit my eye. Rotating slightly, I saw the sunlight streaming through the window and how it reflected off a shiny object held up by the blonde-haired stranger whose name I'd forgotten. Sam gazed at it with admiration.

"And you just beat him last night?" Sam was saying. The stranger nodded.

"When are you challenging him?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm travelling with another trainer and they say I'm not ready. I haven't won a single battle yet and I don't even have a pokédex."

"That just means it's more dramatic when you do win against Roark – it'll be your first victory!"

"I don't know…"

"Come on, have some confidence. Here, I've even got something you could use." The stranger rooted around in his bag and took out a rectangular red object – obviously human-made, a machine. Whatever it was, it made a big impression on Sam.

"I…can't take that from you." The stranger waved him off.

"Relax," he said. "I got about six of them as presents and there's only so many spares I really need." Sam still seemed hesitant but the stranger was insistent so he relented and accepted the whatever-it-was. The stranger stretched and stood up.

"I'll see you around, Sam," he said, and tipped his hat. With that, he left the centre, his three pokémon trailing after him but glancing back at us. Not sure what to make of this odd encounter, I gazed up at Sam. He shrugged and I rolled my eyes.

"Where did you get that?" I turned around to see Cassie with her pokémon behind her. She was dressed in her usual bulky attire and belligerent as usual. Her eyelids seemed dark and heavy – they spoke of a restless night as well.

"Someone gave it to me," Sam answered cautiously.

"Who?"

"A trainer."

"A random trainer just gave you an expensive, state-of-the-art pokédex?" My wonderful trainer opened his mouth but seemed to think better of it. He scratched his head.

"Well, when you put it like that," he muttered, "it does seem a little unlikely." Cassie crossed her arms and fixed him with a disbelieving glare.

"So where's this generous benefactor now?"

"He…left."

"I see."

"He thought it would help with my gym battle challenge later." Cassie stopped. Her hands moved to her hips and her frown deepened. I winced, knowing a rant was coming. I think Sam did too since he took a step back.

"You're challenging Roark today? Really? You've been a trainer for a few days and you decide to challenge a gym with your only pokémon – who is a dark type? Are you a complete idiot? Are you incapable of seeing a pattern in your defeats?"

"Hey, you haven't been a trainer for long either and your only two pokémon are dark types! So don't criticise me when you couldn't beat Roark either!" A strange sound emerged from the girl's mouth. I hadn't thought a human could produce such a menacing growl but apparently she could manage it. It was quite scary.

"First of all," she retorted, "I've been preparing to be a trainer since I was eight! Secondly, my two pokémon are dark types because I am a dark pokémon trainer! And lastly, I could easily beat Roark! And I'll prove it!" Cassie marched off without looking back. Midnight and Alice followed her while Sam looked down at me.

"Should we follow her?" he asked. I trailed after them without looking back. Sam caught up with us when we reached our destination – the gym. Cassie shot Sam one final glare and stormed inside. We all followed her inside and I scooted over to Midnight.

"Does she ever stop being mad?" I asked her. Midnight shot me a surprisingly angry look.

"She's had a tough life."

"But…does she ever stop being mad about it?" Midnight hesitated. It wasn't particularly comforting.

The twin doors of the gym were the colour of rust and they slid open upon approach. My eyes widened as we all trailed inside the building. It had been built into a rock wall and the fusion of natural and artificial materials was incredible. Near the entrance where we stood, the front of the building was all concrete, steel and glass but it slowly morphed into the rock and stone and crystal of the earth.

The interior was long and narrow with a high ceiling and a circular arena at the far side of the gym – presumably reserved for battles. A few raised podiums were present on both sides and spectators stared down at us. There weren't many of them but I still felt unnerved. Alice shied away too.

Cassie marched over to a reception area where she promptly began yelling at a man. After only a few seconds he started pointing to a man seated by the very end of the gym, looking over some papers. Her scowl never leaving her face, Cassie stormed though the gym and the rest of us followed quickly. When we reached the man – who I presumed to be the Leader – he stood up and greeted us warmly.

"Hey there," he said, flashing a smile. "I'm Roark-"

"Battle!" Cassie yelled. "Now!" Roark took a step back and gave a more nervous smile.

"Well, if you're that eager-"

"Now!"

"Okay, okay." He stepped back and raised both hands, palms up. The poor human seemed terrified. I didn't blame him – it was terrifying to even watch it. He grabbed a pokéball and released his first pokémon in a flash of red light.

"What is-?"

"Geodude," Midnight told me when I turned to her and began to question. Cassie called out Alice. Midnight strolled over and sat down next to me. Sam stood above us and we all watched the drama unfold. I couldn't help but feel excited to watch the first gym battle of our journey. The tension in the air was evident. The battle began with a quiet stillness that I know would last only for a moment before the attacks were issued.

"Tackle!" Roark cried.

"Screech!" Cassie yelled. I leaned forward in anticipation. As Alice opened her mouth I wondered what she would-

_SCREEEEECHHHHO Ef'C-QDffe amSPR=V#* ur_ewFTkbs} H?Slet me out let me free let me destroy you alllllllllllLLLLLLLLLLLL- ifFaFF'bH# GSj jr LIUbL s_

__(-*-)

I came to with Sam staring down at me and an agonising ringing in my ears. Blinking rapidly and stupidly, I looked around. I was lying on the ground. I had the vague memory of a voice made of the whispering of static but I couldn't recall it with the pain of Alice's aural onslaught. Damn, that shit is loud!

I got to my feet unsteadily, but only marginally more unsteady than normal. Someone was saying something about the sensitive ears of dark-types but I paid it no mind. As my hearing began to return, I noticed the jeering of the scattered crowd. Clearly they were enjoying darks being injured. My attention returned to ground level when Sam pointed to the arena. An unfamiliar pokémon lay unconscious on the ground and a sign above the Leader's head stated that Cassie was the victor.

Sam and I stared at it dumbfounded, our mouths agape.

I was annoyed that I had missed the entire battle – though it had taken my mind off the news report. Roark silently handed Cassie the badge she had won and backed away promptly. Cassie didn't even look at it; she just pocketed it and walked over to us.

"Told you," she said, glaring at Sam. She stormed outside leaving me and Sam struck speechless. We shared a look before bounding after her.

"Cassie, wait!" he shouted.

"Wait up!" I yelled. Our calls went ignored by Cassie as she marched through the doors and onto the pavement outside. Surprisingly enough, it was Alice that stopped. She tugged on Cassie's leg and stared up at her – blatantly refusing to move. Cassie and Midnight looked just as surprised as I did. Sam and I eventually caught up with them and Alice let go. She hid her face so I couldn't see her expression. Cassie still looked angry but Alice seemed to have assuaged much of it. She locked eyes with Sam.

"Don't ever insult my training skills." Sam nodded slowly.

"Sorry," he mumbled. She stared down at her shoes and began twisting a strand of hair around one finger.

"This isn't working," she muttered glumly. Sam sighed and nodded.

"I know."

"Does this mean that…? I mean…what do we do now?" Sam didn't answer so Cassie continued on. "If you want to beat even the first gym then you'll need another pokémon. Water type would be best; they're easy to find and can combat a whole range of other types. We're never going to find one here so maybe… We'll go to Hearthome and see if we can find a suitable pokémon for you. If things still aren't working when we leave the city…" Cassie lowered her gaze in understanding. They both looked disappointed.

"So when do we leave?" Sam eventually asked. Cassie didn't answer, just began to walk away. After only a moment's hesitation, we all walked after her. I glanced at Midnight and began to wonder if maybe the group we had formed was already coming to an end. I didn't like the idea of being alone with Sam.

I frowned and turned to Midnight.

"Did you say something?" I asked. She shook her head in response, leaving me confused. I thought I had heard something, someone speak. Faintly, the shadow of a remnant of a whisper echoing in the crevasses of my mind. I heard it again and it filled me with dread.

_Not the end… _The voice whispered to me. _The beginning…_


	6. Annexation

_Beta-Reader: The Puppeteer's Ghost_

* * *

**Chapter 6: Annexation**

* * *

**You don't know this yet because I haven't been introduced, but my name is Camazotz and I'm everyone's favourite Mexican zubat. Yeah, you read that right. You see, the thing is- oh wait, this is still in bold.**

Ah, that's better. Anyway, like I was saying. The thing is that zubat – the whole zubat evolution line, actually – can all break the fourth wall. We're the only pokémon that can do it and I don't even know if there's a reason for it. I'm just going to claim Rule of Funny: if something is funny enough, it doesn't have to make sense. Of course it makes interaction with other pokémon a little annoying. Plus, there's a lot of existential angst resulting from the knowledge that you're just a character in a poorly-written fanfic.

It's something that zubat have known since before anyone can remember. We all deal with the knowledge in our own ways. We all have coping strategies. Some...are more healthy than others...

But never mind that. This chapter doesn't deal with the grisly ramifications of the fourth wall - that comes later. This chapter is about me. So let's get back to business, shall we, me amigos?

(-*-)

My ears opened of their own accord. What came next is a little more complicated - and requires a little bit of digressing. Bear with me.

Thomas Nagel was a prominent American philosopher- wait, don't stop reading! This will all make sense in a minute (hopefully).

Anyway, Nagel once published a paper entitled "What is it like to be a bat?". See, this is relevant. Basically, what he said was that it's impossible for a human being to understand what it's like to be a different creature with different senses, bodies, minds. A human being can't process what it's like to have a different mind because they're using their own mind to do so.

So, in conclusion, what have we learned so far? Well, we've learned that I'm surprisingly well-read for someone who can't read. More importantly, we've learned that it's just as impossible for me to explain what it's like to be a zubat as it is for you to understand it. Keeping that in mind, a lot of this might not make sense to you. Just know that it makes sense to me.

My ears opened and the world appeared. After a few seconds of murky ignorance, sounds and vibrations reached my brain - funneled in through my ears and picked up by nerves. The whole world trembled with noise and movement - shouts and vibrations were the light I saw by. I heard everything and dissected the various sounds. The chatter of zubat; there was six nearby, twenty in the adjoining cave, seventy-four in the neighbouring tunnels. I heard their voices and knew who they were. The content of their words, their tone of voice, the emotions behind their speech.

They were only the superficial layer of skin on the massive organism of sound that was Mount Coronet: the steady drip of water the other side of the wall; a nearby underground stream, gently flowing towards a small lake in the depths of the mountain; the occasional smash of dislodged rocks; the chiming of chingling, grunting of geodude, moaning of psyduck, giggling of clefairy and the cry of every single pokémon nearby. It was deafeningly beautiful and incomprehensibly comprehensive and deliriously impossible to describe. And it didn't last for long.

"¡Despierta!" the zubat shouted. "Wake up, man! You dead or somethin'? ¡Amigo! You dead, amigo? ¡Amigo! ¡Amigo! ¡Contéstame!" I groaned loudly.

"I'm awake, Carlos," I told my childhood friend. He didn't seem convinced; a confused frown creased his already-confused face. Up close, my echolocation was advanced enough to distinguish facial changes and expressions. Then again, I didn't need to read his expression to know what Carlos was thinking at any given moment: he wasn't. He sort of drifted through life in a state of ignorance - getting angry at everything he didn't understand. He was my amigo and we had gone through a lot together, but it had been a long time since I felt any sort of positive emotion for either of them.

I groaned again and stretched out my wings. I was still a little drowsy from my sleep but I shook myself and dislodged from my staligtite. I flapped my wings to steady myself in the air, shaking off the last of my tiredness.

"So, man, what are we goin' to do today?" Carlos asked.

"The same thing we do every day," I replied, grinning. "Try to take over the world!"

"We don' do that every day!" Carlos shouted back, ignorant of the reference. "And why you talkin' so weird? You enfermo or somethin'?" I sighed.

"I'm fine, Carlos," I muttered dejectedly. "Let's just go." Carlos frowned again but I paid him no attention, flapping my wings and drifting away. I wasn't fine, of course. I was just...tired. Tired of this place. Tired of living in the dank abyss where the only contact I have is with other zubat. They don't even like me very much; they're uncomfortable being around me, I can tell. They know what happened to me. They know what happened to the three of us. They know about Juan. They know, and it makes them uncomfortable so they leave us alone. Which would be fine- which _should_ be fine except...

Except it's been a long time since I felt any sort of affection for Carlos...or her. I stopped loving her a long time ago and Carlos has lost his status as my best friend. Now every time I look at them I'm just reminded of all that I've lost. It brings up memories that should stay buried. I've tried to forget but every time I see them they all come rushing back. Every single day leaves me with more bitter melancholy. Every day that passes makes me want to go back to old habits. And I don't want to go back to old habits. Not again. But the way things are going...I'm not sure I can survive here much longer.

"¡Gusano!" I heard someone shout. Worm. Nice. I turn to the source of the insult.

"Hola, jefe," I greeted Casimiro, the chief golbat of the Third Gang of Mexican zubat. I know: it's ridiculous. I don't come up with this mierda.

"Shut up!" Casimiro retorted, in a much thicker accent than my own, before turning to Carlos. "Fuck off, cresa! I don't wanna see you - not right now!" Carlos wandered off instantly - not even recognising the insult. The golbat tilted his ears forwards and examined me intently but I was too despondent to care.

"Whassamatter?" he asked, in one word. I sighed.

"I'm just tired of this place, man," I muttered dismally.

"The fuck is wrong with you? The story has begun at last and The Plot has taken effect." I sighed again. I didn't even want to start on The Plot.

"Did you want something, jefe?" I asked. Casimiro pointed one wing in certain direction and I traced his movement to know which way to turn to.

"There!" he yelled. He was pointing towards the entrance to the cave. "A group of humans they come towards us! Go fuck them up!" Maybe it was just because I was feeling worse than usual but his remark irked me.

"Do you have to be so stereotypical all the time?" I asked. He shot me a vicious glare.

"That's the way of the Mexican zubat. Be thankful: this segment is a recent edition. There wasn't anything like this in the original-draft chapter so the readers just had to figure out we were actually Mexican on their own."

"Fuck, man, this story is a disaster." He nodded morosely.

"I know. Hijo de puta, even the readers know that."

"We've got readers?"

"We got like four. Don't fuckin' scare 'em away."

"I'll do my best." My statement angered him.

"You'll do better! Remember who you are! We are the Third Gang of zubat! We are the servants of The Plot! We are Mexican!"

"I know, I know. But that doesn't matter to me anymore. I feel like... I feel so...tired."

"Not no mores you don't. Everything is goin' to change." He grinned, revealing his razor-sharp teeth. "La historia comienza..."

(-#-)

**My name is Alice and I guess this is my story.**

The sun had vanished behind a thick canopy of cloud when we left the city of Oreburgh. There was a cold chill that made Cassie shiver but left me invigorated. That was one of the only things I preferred about my life now: the colder climate. I always felt tired in the tropical heat of Hoenn. I'd never really known what it was like to feel the cold. I never knew how much I would enjoy it. I didn't enjoy a whole lot of things...

Cassie and Sam walked in front, only speaking to each other when necessary. The tension between them was obvious. Their anger was almost palpable. It was clear they had come to regret travelling together but it probably wouldn't matter that much to me if they decided to go their separate ways. Sam's presence made me nervous and now that Atrum was here, Midnight was spending less and less time with me. Still, Midnight was with me now and I was thankful of that. Having my friend there was a reassurance. Sometimes I wasn't as scared when Midnight there beside me.

We were all heading towards the next city: Hearthome. Cassie told us we would have to go through the biggest mountain in the region. Sam let out a groan of dismay when he heard that. Apparently he wasn't fond of that particular mountain. We spent most of the time battling trainers and Cassie was doing well. She won almost every battle - just as Atrum lost every one. Sam looked more disparaged with every defeat but he also became more argumentative. Even now, he was bickering with my trainer.

Cassie gestured wildly at a map but I wasn't paying attention to what she was saying. I was talking to Midnight when I saw Atrum approach and shied away, hiding behind Midnight as best I could. He stayed quiet for a moment, looking like he wasn't sure what to say. I felt sorry for Atrum – seeing his family and friends all killed. He hadn't mentioned it before but I hadn't been acting very friendly to him so I wasn't surprised. Midnight probably knew all about it.

"Yes?" Midnight finally asked when the silence dragged on.

"Would you…" Atrum began but trailed off. He shook his head and tried again. "Would you teach me to fight? I don't know if you've noticed but I'm kind of awful at it." Midnight snorted but nodded.

"Of course," she answered him and pulled me closer. "We both will." What? I can't do that! What are you thinking? I won't be any help at all! You're acting crazy, Midnight. I won't do it! You can't make me!

"Okay," I answered timidly. "When do we start?" Damn it! I've got to stop doing that! Midnight keeps saying I should stand up for myself more but…it's hard. I noticed we were nearing the entrance of the mountain. I gazed up to see it. The mountain towered overhead, dwarfing everything around. It rose above the clouds themselves so I couldn't see the peak. We stopped momentarily to gaze upwards. Sam and Cassie continued their argument after we entered the cave within. I wondered if they even knew what they were fighting about anymore. Curious as to the answer, I slunk over to them but kept far enough away so they wouldn't notice me.

The mountain towered overhead; it was impossible to see anything else and it stretched across the horizon. I knew it divided the entire region - like someone had slashed at Sinnoh with a giant knife right down the middle. I shrunk back at the sight of the enormous landmark. Instinctively, I latched on to Cassie's leg. Her presence provided the same comfort Midnight did and even the brief contact calmed me down slightly.

"There is nothing wrong with this mountain!" Cassie cried, sounding exasperated. Sam gritted his teeth and shot her a glare.

"You've never even been here before!" Sam shot back.

"Neither have you! You went through the run-down Eterna gate - not this one. This even has signposts for people going between cities!"

"It's the same mountain!"

"Exactly my point: it's a mountain! It's not the centre of evil and the gateway to hell! Get inside, damn it!" Sam grunted out some reply and walked through the gloomy threshold of the cave. The trainers stopped and blinked rapidly to adjust to the ensuing darkness but the rest of us were fine. I gulped as I glanced around the massive expansive interior of the cave. Tunnels and adjoining caves seemed to latch on to the central cavern - the path broke off and opened up every few steps. The ceiling was high and jagged and covered with various holes. The sights in the cave scared me so much I buried my head in Cassie's sock. I could still hear things though; the sound of an underground stream, the cries of various pokémon, the sound of my trainer arguing...and a furious chattering sound overhead.

Nobody else seemed to notice but the noise grew louder. Midnight growled; she heard it too. I opened my eyes and turned my gaze skyward to see a crowd of zubat rush out from a hole in the ceiling like flood of darkness. They shouted words I didn't understand as they swarmed around our group.

"This is our turf, man," one of them screeched. Sam seemed to freeze with terror for a moment before ducking down and shielding his face. His face had turned deathly pale and he was shivering rapidly. Cassie backed away and shouted at me and Midnight.

"Midnight! Alice! Get them away!" Midnight jumped into action immediately. She snarled furiously and pounced on the crowd of zubat, knocking half a dozen back with her charge and catching another in her mouth. She spit out the screaming zubat and turned back to the others. I tried to help as best I could. After detaching myself from my trainer's leg, I jumped and slashed, jumped and slashed, jumped and slashed some more. I moved too quickly to be caught by the flying types and darted away from any who got close. I could hear them all swear rapidly.

Atrum stepped forward to try and help us but tripped over and landed in the dirt. He sighed and muttered "ow".

I felt a sudden sting as one of the zubat landed an attack. It was a feeble leech life and barely damaged me but I was surprised it hit me when I was moving so fast. My eyes scanned the crowd and found the offending zubat just in time to avoid a bite. He surprised me again with his speed. Even more because he could have hit me if he really wanted to. He was faster than the others but his movements looked intentionally sluggish. He didn't want to hurt me; he didn't even want to be here. He didn't have eyes to read but I somehow got the impression of sorrow from the way he moved. I frowned and hesitated in my attack.

Midnight didn't. She flew through the air and grabbed the sad zubat in her jaws, clamping them shut and provoking a cry of pain. She shook her muzzle from side to side and flung the injured zubat to one side. I winced again as he slammed against the wall, still conscious but too weary to move. The view was blocked by the dispersing crowd of zubat. As they were leaving, one of them turned back to us.

"Hey, man, you don't know who you messing with!" One more bite from Midnight and he flew away after the others. Cassie breathed out a sigh of relief as she helped Sam to his feet. He still looked absolutely terrified. My trainer scowled at him.

"Can we go now?" Sam asked timorously. Cassie stopped and pointed.

"Look." I followed her gaze towards an adjoining tunnel. Sitting on a rock with its back to us was a small, yellow pokémon. It was massaging its temples and grumbling about a headache. Sam raised an eyebrow when he turned back to Cassie.

"A psyduck?" he asked with a trace of disbelief. "Really?" This seemed to annoy Cassie.

"Hey, psyduck can be just as powerful as any other pokémon," she told him. "Besides, it's still a water pokémon." Sam sighed and started to approach it before pausing and looking back at Cassie.

"I don't have a pokéball," he said. Cassie scowled and – after rooting in her pocket for a moment – handed him a red and white sphere. Sam slowly began to approach the psyduck and Atrum followed suit.

"It's okay, Atrum," Sam said. "I've got this."

"Don't worry," he said, sitting next to Midnight, "I had no intention of doing anything." Cassie looked like she was going to say something but instead, just shook her head and sighed. Sam crept over to the psyduck, moving slowly but awkwardly, as if thinking he couldn't be heard by every single pokémon save for a baby magikarp. The psyduck would have heard him too but it looked too preoccupied to notice. Suddenly, Sam threw the pokéball.

It soared through the air majestically. The it stopped. The sphere was motionless in mid-air. The psyduck slowly turned around and I could see a strange glow to his eyes. He looked annoyed until he spotted out group. The psyduck gasped and pointed one stubby hand at us. He took a step forward and Midnight misconstrued it for an attack.

She kicked sand into the psyduck's eyes and launched herself at the pokémon when he was blinded. She slammed into him and knocked him back. With the psyduck's concentration broken, the psychic powers around the pokéball seemed to malfunction and it shot back towards us. Sam ducked and the pokéball flew over him. Meanwhile, a series of high-pitched cries alerted everyone to the psyduck's rapid escape down a nearby tunnel.

"Fuck!" yelled a voice. We all turned to see the pokéball fall to the ground and shake for a few moments before making a _ding! _noise. Sam and Cassie exchanged a glance and Cassie picked it up and released whatever pokémon was inside.

"Fuck, my head hurts," groaned the zubat that fluttered weakly in the air. It was the same zubat I had battled earlier.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sam cried. "A zubat?"

"Hey, man, what's going on?" the zubat asked. His questions went ignored as Sam and Cassie began to argue.

"There's no way in hell I'm keeping that." Sam asserted, sounding more than a little anxious. Cassie lifted up the zubat's wing and peered underneath.

"Him," she stated after turning back to Sam.

"Fuck, that's intrusive!" The zubat cried shying away somewhat. Atrum examined him with an expression of curiosity. Midnight just eyed him suspiciously.

"And why shouldn't you keep him?" Cassie inquired. "He's yours

"You know how much I hate zubat." I saw the zubat's ears droop. Sam probably didn't realise what he said was hurtful – people usually don't – but I knew what it was like to feel lonely and rejected. I wasn't going to let that happen to another pokémon. I leaped up into the air and grabbed the pokéball. After that I stepped back, holding it close to me.

"Alice what are you doing?" Cassie asked me while Midnight, Sam and Atrum looked on with interest.

"We're keeping him," I said firmly. At least, I tried to say it firmly. I think my voice was shaking and I might have trembled a little. Everyone was looking at me and I didn't know how long I would be able to stay like this. Mercifully, Cassie looked at Sam and smirked.

"Well, Sam," Cassie began, "I'll give you a choice: you can let me keep my new zubat…" She looked down at me. "Or you can argue about it with a pissed off sneasel."

"You can't kidnap my pokémon."

"I'm not. I'm kidnapping _my_ pokémon. It was my pokéball - you just threw it. So I'm keeping him." Just for a moment, I saw something in Sam's expression. His eyes glinted and his face darkened. I felt a shudder run down my spine at the rage he felt. Nobody else seemed to notice and it was gone a second later. I wondered if I had imagined it but it was hard to imagine a fury so extreme. Sam eventually just gritted his teeth and kept on walking the path out of the cave. Shaking her head after him, Cassie examined our new team mate for a minute before speaking again.

"Camazotz," she said. "That's your name. Come on guys." We all followed Cassie as she and Sam continued walking through the cave. Midnight immediately approached our new team mate.

"I'm Midnight," she said. "This is Alice and Atrum. We're your new team-mates and as long as you stick to the rules and take care of Cassie we won't have any problems. Understand?" Camazotz nodded to show he understood. "Good." Atrum stared silently at Camazotz for several moments until he eventually spoke.

"Why don't you have any eyes?" he asked. Midnight chuckled nervously and led Atrum away as he continued to mutter. "I just don't understand how he can see..." Feeling unwanted, I drifted away towards Sam and Cassie.

"Hey," someone muttered. I jumped and turned to see Camazotz flying behind me. I hadn't heard him approach so he must have been really silent.

"Hi," I answered, a little cautiously.

"I just wanted to say thanks," he said. "But...why'd you do that?" I shrugged, not sure how to say this.

"I know what it's like to feel…tired. I don't want anyone else to feel like that. I thought you might be happier with us." I'm not sure if I explained that right but he seemed to understand. He nodded and was about to say something else when we caught up with Atrum and Midnight. Atrum and Camazotz regarded each other with a swift greeting and Midnight began talking again – telling Camazotz all about our journey. Feeling unwanted, I drifted away. I was about to head towards Sam and Cassie when I heard Midnight approach.

"That was a nice thing you did, Alice," she said. "I'm proud of you." I smiled at that, and kept smiling for a long time.


	7. Development

_Beta-Reader: The Puppeteer's Ghost_

* * *

**Chapter 7: Development**

* * *

**Atrum**

The ground beneath me was course and scratchy. The rough dirt dug into my fur and the sand stung my eyes. I coughed as I breathed in the dust cloud – my lungs wrenching, my breath wheezing. There were whispers in my ear or in my mind; I couldn't tell which. Gritting my teeth against the pain I slowly got to my feet – only for a well placed tackle to knock me away again. I slammed into the side of a building and felt yet another flash of pain in my side. My head was spinning and my vision was blurred but I could just hear Alice's cries.

"Midnight, stop it!" she yelled. The panic she felt was obvious from her shaking, frantic voice. "He's really hurt!" A shadow fell across me; a dark and fearsome figure blotting out the sun as she stood above me.

"It's the only way he'll learn," Midnight replied coolly and raised her paw for another strike.

Damn, I just realised I started in the middle. I'll have to go back and try again.

(-*-)

Hearthome was the third city I had been to but it was by far the biggest. It was huge – even bigger than Oreburgh – but it had a friendly atmosphere. It was morning when we arrived, trudging through the city gates. The lengthy journey through caves and over rivers had exhausted us. Despite feeling tired however, we all felt invigorated upon reaching Hearthome. The streets were crowded with people and pokémon but it was much more slow and casual than the bustle of other cities. It was more modern than the previous cities too and the buildings were much taller. We were all a little overwhelmed when we arrived. Alice hid behind Cassie and peeked out her head occasionally. Midnight didn't seem remotely impressed by the sprawling urbanity – nor did Sam or Cassie.

Actually, it might be more accurate to say that _I_ was overwhelmed by Hearthome and nobody else cared. I suppose Camazotz might have been thoroughly impressed by the new city but it was impossible to tell. I couldn't gauge his reaction. I didn't even know how I would go about doing it; his lack of a recognisable face meant I had no idea what his expression was. The hollow, sunken patches where his eyes ought to be gave nothing away – with the possible exception that he was quite scary. His enormous mouth was filled with teeth and when his leathery wings flapped it looked like convulsions. It was actually slightly difficult for me to catch his eye (so to speak) because I couldn't help but feel intimidated by his presence. I mean, that was one freaky pokémon. He didn't seem very friendly either.

Well, that's not true. He was friendly when we talked to him (and by we I mean Midnight) but he didn't say much. He was curt with his replies, distant when he interacted with others. He gave the impression of being sad. I guess it was only natural; he had left all his zubat friends and family behind. Right now he fluttered silently above our heads as we strolled through the streets. I honestly wasn't even sure he was awake.

"Come on," Cassie said to us without slowing down, "we should try to find a water type right away." Everyone looked dismayed. The group might not have been that impressed by the city but we still wanted to look around.

"Aren't we going to look around?" Sam asked.

"Hey, I'm just thinking about what's best for you," Cassie replied. "The sooner you find a second pokémon, the sooner you can re-challenge the gym."

"But we never got a chance to explore Oreburgh," argued Sam, "and we're not going to find a pokémon right away." We all looked pleadingly at Cassie… and Camazotz snored. Eventually, Cassie gave a sigh and said,

"All right, fine. We'll stay here for a day and look around the city." We grinned at each other and continued on further into the heart (no pun intended) of the city. I noticed Sam kept looking around him, probably to see if there was any incredibly rare and powerful water type pokémon wandering around the streets just waiting to be captured. I didn't expect that to happen but I've been wrong before. At least I have been in the few days of my life I can actually remember.

We headed towards the pokémon centre first and passed a whole array of different buildings. There was a huge variety of them and they all looked interesting. I pointed to them as we passed.

"What's that one?" I asked Midnight.

"Apartment block," she answered. "That's where humans live."

"Oh, what about that?"

"Shopping centre. That's where humans buy food and supplies." I nodded to make it look like I understood. A peculiar building caught my eye.

"What about that one?" I asked Midnight, pointing to a large building on our left that was unlike any I'd seen before. Constructed almost entirely of white stone and situated on its own. It had a large steeple and a bright blue circular ceiling. Surprisingly, it was Camazotz who answered my question.

"That's a place unique among all the known regions which is symbolic of the city's status as a place where different cultures meet," he explained in his unusual accent. "It's based on a cathedral and you can tell it's important because there's no background music playing when you go in." Alice, Midnight and I stared at him.

"Background music?" Midnight enquired. Camazotz sighed.

"Man," he muttered. "This is gonna to take some getting used to." Midnight and I both glanced at each other before moving on.

"Oh, what's that place?" I asked when I saw an enormous circular building at the northernmost part of the city. It was just visible in the distance.

"That's the contest hall," Midnight replied.

"Contests? Are they like gym battles?"

"Not really. In contests pokémon are judged by their appearance and performance rather than their strength and the strategy of their trainer."

"Real superficial, right man?" Camazotz commented. I would have answered but I noticed Alice gazing longingly at the hall so I fell silent until the next question.

"What about that?" Before us stood a colourful gate-like entrance with various pokémon depicted on it. It seemed to lead to a park.

"That's Amity Square," Midnight told us. "It's a park where pokémon trainers can go for a walk with certain pokémon."

"Are any of us allowed?"

"No." Her answer was curt but I was intrigued – as well as mildly disappointing.

"Why not?"

"Because people don't like darks, man," Camazotz answered with a surprising amount of bitterness in his voice. "They scare people. They remind them of their own insecurities and weaknesses. They see darkness as something to be feared and hated so that's how they portray anything associated with it – as just something to be kept at a distance and loathed. Never appreciated… never loved… Anything associated with darkness is shunned – even if it isn't dark type." He trailed off and shook his head, giving us a shaky smile. "But hell, man, what do I know?" He turned away and fell silent. Midnight and I shared an astonished glance before turning back to stare at Camazotz as he flew on ahead of us.

"Wow…" Midnight said. "I wasn't expecting that." I simply nodded, my mouth agape. The zubat's jaded outburst was unexpected and now he looked like it had never happened. I shook my head and tried to forget about it as we reached the pokémon centre. It was identical to the ones in Oreburgh and Eterna.

Cassie went to the human at the counter and booked rooms for the night. Meanwhile, I got distracted for a few minutes looking at Camazotz navigating the centre despite the fact that he apparently had no eyes. He nimbly avoided crashing into anything. I wondered how he did it and I closed my eyes to see if I could it as well. I ran straight into a wall.

"Atrum?" I looked up to see Sam gazing down at me with his usual expression of concern for me. I brushed myself off and tried my best to look dignified.

"That's one fine-looking absol you got there," someone commented.

"Absol?" I wondered aloud. "Where?" I turned to see an elderly man addressing Sam. His age was the only distinguishing feature he had. Even for a human he looked generic – and that's saying something.

"Thank you," Sam replied tentatively. I think we were both surprised by the acceptance of my presence. Considering the usual reaction of people towards me and the other dark types, his compliment seemed strange. "His name is Atrum. I'm Sam Jacobs." The old man extended his hand and Sam shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Sam. Are you a trainer?"

"Yeah but I just started out. Atrum's my only pokémon."

"Quite a catch. Why, I ain't seen an absol in fourteen years. They only show up in times of misfortune. Got themselves a bad reputation for it too." He shook his head sadly. "Too bad too. They're good pokémon. Still…you having him makes me wonder…"

"He was injured and alone when I caught him."

"He wandered away from his pack? That's fairly unusual." Sam looked down at me.

"He's very…wilful." The old man bent down to examine me – something I found quite unnerving.

"He could use some training up," he commented. Sam nodded in agreement.

"I haven't had him that long."

"If you want, I could take him for the day." Sam frowned and so did I. Regardless of how glad I might be to get away from Sam, I wasn't entirely sure I was willing to be temporarily kidnapped.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"I run the Sinnoh day-care centre." I sighed. Just once, I'd like to get through a whole conversation without hearing some baffling statement that I didn't understand. Though Sam looked a little confused too.

"I thought you were based in Solaceon Town."

"Well… normally we are, but we were having some trouble up there so we've temporarily moved here."

"What happened?" The old man leaned in closer to Sam.

"You know Lost Tower?" Sam nodded. "Well, the ghosts have been acting pretty rowdy lately. They even started coming into the town itself – causing all sorts of trouble." He shook his head. "Real bad for business. People have started avoiding Solaceon Town altogether. I know the owner of Amity Square and he allowed me and my wife to set up there for a while. But between you and me, I don't think the ghost problem will be resolved any time soon."

"Well, I'm going to be here for at least a day. Could you watch my pokémon for me?"

"Certainly, Samuel. Will it just be Atrum?"

"No a friend of mine has several pokémon. They will also be accompanying us to the square which is amiable."

"Marvellous. I shall send for the carriage and we shall dine on tea and waffles."

"May I join you for these waffles?"

"Heresy! Only the waffle may have the waffle." All right I'm going to be honest with you. I stopped listening to their conversation about five minutes ago so I'm just assuming this is what they said. Anyway, the next thing I knew I was in a huge park filled with trees and plants with a lake in the centre and ruins up on a hill. The sun gleamed down and illuminated the area with its golden glow. I looked around and admired the scenery. However, I couldn't help but feel a little confused.

"How did we get here?" I asked Midnight.

"We walked," she answered. "Remember?" I shook my head, thinking I should really pay more attention to what's happening around-

Is that flower moving? The flower in question had just popped out of the ground and had waddled away. Looking around again, I saw things in a different view. The rocks strewn around had limbs and expressions, the trees and flowers gained life as they twitched and yawned – basking in the sunlight. I ducked sharply to avoid several flying pokémon as they soared above the park.

"Nice place, man," I heard Camazotz mutter. He and Alice had joined us as we gazed at the wondrous sight before us. Everything suddenly went dark and we all looked up to see an elderly woman examining us, her shadow covering us. Alice shied away instinctively but the woman gave us a warm smile.

"What lovely pokémon you are," she said.

"A compliment?" I heard Camazotz mutter. "That's new." The woman continued talking.

"Come with me, darlings," she said, "and I'll get you something to eat." Instantly more enthusiastic, I bounded after the woman. And when I say "I bounded after her" what I really mean is "I walked casually and regally after her without a trace of drool and without falling over anything." We all followed her to a large tent where the majority of the pokémon were present all crowded around it. Some were playing, others battling but most were eating a variety of food – none of which I could remember seeing before, of course. Even so, it looked delicious.

The four of us waited patiently outside the tent as the woman got us some food. Camazotz was still humming to himself and Midnight was glancing around – scanning the surroundings but also looking eager to go talk to some of the other pokémon here. Alice shrunk back behind me and Midnight, trying her best to look invisible. I wasn't entirely comfortable here either. All these pokémon were making me paranoid. Any one of them could be planning to attack us and – although I had no way of making sure – some of them looked very powerful. We were surrounded. At any moment they could all kill us and there would be nothing we could do.

Not exactly a pleasant thought.

I wondered how anyone could stand to be in crowds like this. I glanced over at the others and met Alice's eye. We gulped in unison and I realised we were probably feeling the same thing. I understood why Alice was so shy now. At least partially, anyway. Though something obviously made her like this. I gave her a shaky but encouraging smile. She looked surprised but returned it after a moment. Before I could dwell on Alice's plight any further, the woman returned – balancing four red bowls with ease. It gave the indication she did this a lot. She bent down and set down the bowls.

"Enjoy," she said with a smile. Midnight eagerly devoured a chunk of raw bloody meat while Camazotz slowly drank a bowl full of blood and Alice nibbled on a small light brown egg. I gazed down at the unidentifiable substance before me. They looked a little like berries but they were square. I was expecting chocolate. This was just some sort of mean joke.

"We've never had an absol here before," the woman explained apologetically, "so I wasn't sure what to give you. I hope you like them."

"Hey man, you got pokéblocks!" Camazotz exclaimed.

"What are they?" I asked, unable to pry my gaze away from the inedible-looking substance before me.

"Pokémon food," Midnight said. "I saw it in Hoenn. They're supposed to be tasty." They looked like extensions of the bowl but I was starving. I cautiously grabbed a green one in my mouth and-

Oh, that's disgusting! I immediately spit out the vile substance and turned back to the others.

"What kind of horrible person feeds that to a pokémon?" I cried. They all seemed to be focused on something behind me. Slowly turning around, I saw a dark blue pokémon sniffing at the discarded pokéblock. It was short but chubby with big ears. It… he looked at us and asked, in a gruff voice,

"You gonna eat that?" We all shook our heads in unison. The newcomer shrugged and swallowed the pokéblock without hesitation. Afterwards, he gave an enormous belch and walked off. Alice, Midnight, Camazotz and I all looked at each other. Camazotz started snickering and pretty soon we had all burst out laughing. I wasn't even sure what was so funny but it was a nice moment. We didn't have enough moments like that. Unfortunately, the moment passed as I knew it would and we all split up.

Midnight socialized with everyone there and an hour later I was sure she knew all the pokémon by name. It certainly seemed that way. Camazotz had stolen the remainder of my pokéblocks for an unexplained reason. When I asked him about it a strange look crossed his face. His face fell and he looked away.

"Just in case," he said cryptically. "Hopefully I'll never need to." I wandered around the park for a while but didn't talk to anyone. All the pokémon had formed groups or cliques. They were talking avidly, playing, battling or just relaxing. Camazotz seemed to be arguing passionately with a scary-looking cactus. Midnight was still talking to several other pokémon. I could barely hear her speak above the bouts of laughter from the other pokémon. I found myself growing even hungrier; after all, I hadn't eaten. Ignoring the growling coming from my stomach, I walked on, eventually coming to a stop in a more isolated spot. I sat down next to a tree and gazed out from the shelter of the shadows. How could Midnight be so friendly? How could she talk so easily – be so confident?

"It gets lonely," I heard a voice say. I jumped and looked around me. "Back here." I turned and walked around the tree. Alice sat on the other side. She cast a timid glance up at me but quickly looked away.

"Yeah," I answered. "It does." I paused, then sat down and leaned my back against the tree like she was doing.

"We uh, we haven't talked before," I commented, keeping my gaze on the other pokémon – just like Alice.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I didn't want to be mean. I was just…"

"You didn't know if you could trust me…" She nodded. I looked at her. "You can, you know." She glanced up and fixed her big, purplish-red eyes on mine. I saw the heartache in her eyes. In her timid, broken movements I saw a tragedy. I saw hurt. I saw the fractured remnants of whatever confidence she had once had. I felt ashamed of my feelings of isolation and paranoia. I had no excuse for being this way – not compared to her. I couldn't imagine what she went through to be this way. Cassie coped with it. Midnight coped with it. But Alice couldn't. She smiled wearily and I thought it was the saddest thing I had ever seen.

"I hope so," she whispered. Suddenly overcome with emotion and feeling spontaneous, I moved over and hugged the sneasel. For a moment I forgot how much I hated being touched. This wasn't about my own quirks; this was about Alice and right now she needed comfort. She embraced me back and I thought I heard her sob for a moment. Then my stomach rumbled loudly.

"That ruined the ambience," I muttered. Alice laughed and pulled away. She wiped away her snowflake tears and smiled at me.

"Thank you," she said, then paused in consideration. She grabbed the red bowl that I hadn't noticed was there and started performing an array of strange tasks. I watched in fascination as she chopped and sliced berries with her claws, throwing them into the bowl and mixing them together. Grabbing a nearby rock, she ground up a purple pokéblock and sprinkled it lightly into the bowl. She mixed some water in to the mixture and stirred it with the rock.

"What are you doing?" I finally asked when I couldn't contain my curiosity any longer. Alice smiled at me.

"I'm cooking," she muttered. I tilted my head to the side.

"I thought you were Alice," I said, feeling ever so slightly confused. Alice frowned.

"You don't know what cooking is?" She asked with a tone of disbelief. I wondered if this was something I was supposed to know about.

"I do not," I answered.

"I-It's… well, it's…" Alice trailed off and offered me the bowl of stuff. "Try it." She wanted me to eat it? I considered this briefly before deciding that Alice would probably not attempt to poison me with so many pokémon nearby.

And I was really, really hungry.

With that in mind I bent down and slurped a little of the semi-liquid substance. To my surprise, it was delicious. I swirled it around in my mouth before swallowing – savouring the surprisingly enticing flavour. It was even tastier than chocolate!

"What is this?" I asked as I began to finish the strange food.

"Soup," Alice told me. I looked at her, impressed and wondering how she managed to make this.

"This is delicious," I told her. Her eyes widened as if I had told her she had been declared queen of the universe. I got the feeling she didn't get compliments often.

"You really think so?" she asked, just to make sure I had said what she thought I had. I nodded and she practically swelled with pride. I licked the rest of the bowl clean before turning back to Alice.

"So, how exactly do you cook?" I asked. For the next few while, I had my first real conversation with Alice that we hadn't both been forced into by Midnight. It began with her regaling me on the culinary arts (which is essentially a fancier word for "cooking") but soon we started to discuss other topics as well. We talked about battling, Sam and Cassie, the perceived state of the economy in Sinnoh and abroad (not really – I don't even know what those words mean). We were both extremely reluctant to discuss our pasts but apart from that, I found Alice to be friendly, intelligent and creative. And she apparently, thought I was very funny. In the end, I was so engrossed in conversation that I didn't notice Midnight approach. She looked at us both with obvious glee.

"I'm glad you're getting along," she commented with a smile. Then she turned to me. "Come on."

"What?" I asked her.

"I want to show you something." I looked back at Alice who shrugged.

"Um, okay," I finally answered. Midnight grinned at that response.

"Great," she said enthusiastically and began to walk off. After taking one last look at Alice, I trailed after her. Alice followed us as well and we soon passed Camazotz who had been talking to the scary cactus when he saw us.

"Hey, I'll see you later, man," he muttered and flew over to us. "Where're we all going?"

"You'll see," Midnight answered evasively. I realised she was leading us towards the ruined buildings I had seen when I first arrived in the park. I panicked slightly when I realised this would be the perfect place for an ambush – pokémon could be hiding out of sight in the ruins just waiting to jump out at us with fangs bared and dripping blood and poison and-

No, that's ridiculous. Besides, I knew Midnight wouldn't purposely lead me into a trap.

And that was when she turned around and hit me.

"Ow!" I yelled. "What was that for?" Midnight scratched me across the face and tripped me up. I fell to the ground and felt a flash of pain and heard a blast of static.

"Hey man, what are you doing?" Camazotz cried. Midnight didn't turn around – she just stared at me.

"He wanted to learn how to fight," she said coldly without taking her eyes off me, "well I'm going to teach him." Alice rushed to my defence but Midnight grabbed her arm with a bite and tossed her away harmlessly – once again, without taking her eyes off me. Alice crashed into Camazotz and they both tumbled to the ground in a flurry of yells, swearing and cries of "Hijo de puta!" from Camazotz. I gazed into Midnight's eyes. Her friendly smile had vanished - replaced by an expression of cold ferocity. The battle had transformed her and she was no longer the Midnight I knew.

_Hurt her…_

As Alice attempted to get back up, Midnight slammed into me. I rolled over several times until I hit the side of a ruined building and coughed as a cloud of displaced dust descended on me. I never imagined Midnight to be this powerful. Meanwhile, the noise of static grew louder in my mind or in my ears. It came from all around me. It was everywhere and nowhere and it wasn't real but I could hear it.

_Hear us…_

The ground beneath me was course and scratchy. The rough dirt dug into my fur and the sand stung my eyes. I slowly got to my feet only for a well placed Tackle to knock me away. I slammed into the side of a building and felt a flash of pain in my side.

My head was spinning and my vision was blurred but I could just hear Alice's cries.

"Midnight, stop it!" she yelled. "He's really hurt!"

"It's the only way he'll learn," Midnight replied coolly and raised her paw for another strike. I jumped out of the way just in time but Midnight was quicker and raked me with her claws as I escaped. I collapsed and looked down. I saw blood.

_We smell blood…_

I don't know the exact time during my fight with Midnight that she cut me but it didn't matter. The sight of it unnerved me though I didn't know why. No, that's not a great description of how I felt. It terrified me. I watched with morbid fascination as a single drop of crimson blood fell to the ground. I heard the plop it made and winced. The sound reverberated in my mind. It echoed repeatedly as the maniacal laughter I had become familiar with returned. The echo merged with the static and the voices grew in force. They mixed together in a jeering, mocking voice which just got louder.

It just got louder…

"Shut up…" I muttered.

It just got louder.

"Shut up." I said.

It just got louder!

It just got louder!

It just got louder!

"What's the matter, Atrum?" the voices asked mockingly. "This isn't bothering you, is it?"

It just got louder.

IT JUST GOT LOUDER!

"SHUT UP!" I screamed at the top my lungs and struck out, blocking Midnight's paw as she tried to scratch me – oblivious to my internal turmoil. She reached around but I raked her arm. I thought I saw a flicker of surprise cross her face but it was gone before I could recognise it. Meanwhile, the laughter had turned into whispering. It spoke to me…

…and I listened. Concentrating hard, my eyes turned grey but I inclined my head so Midnight wouldn't be able to see. She leaned forward – intending to bite me, I knew, though I wasn't sure how I did – but I reacted quickly as the whispers told me what to do.

_Scratch her… Scratch her now! _I complied; realising they knew what they were talking about and it would help me end this battle.

_Now use leer…_ I glared at Midnight who winced slightly and I rammed my head into her chest as she was distracted. She fell backwards and I waited until she had got to her feet again before I attacked. I used quick attack, aiming for her front paws. The whispers told me the specifics (the velocity, direction and so on) I just obeyed. I slammed into Midnight and knocked her several feet into the air with a critical hit. Next, I finally unleashed the razor wind I had summoned. It struck Midnight as another critical hit with enough force to knock her into the wall.

She didn't get up. I turned to see Camazotz and Alice staring at me, horrified.

"Madre de Dios," muttered Camazotz. "Fuck, man." Alice looked like she had lost the ability to speak properly as her gaze alternated between me and the unconscious body of Midnight.

"That was…" Alice began. "You… you beat Midnight." I nodded.

"Yeah," I said. "I think I'm going to stop standing up now." And then, I collapsed from exhaustion, hunger and pain. After that, it all went dark. And I still heard whispers.

(-#-)

Camazotz immediately rushed over when Atrum collapsed while Alice checked that Midnight was all right. Their concern was obvious as they tried to wake their fallen comrades. Neither one of them realised they were being watched. Two figures stood in one of the ruined buildings, hidden in the shadows as they peered outside. Although they were concealed by the darkness, it was obvious that one was larger than the other. The smaller one hovered off the ground.

"Interesting," the bigger one muttered to himself in a deep, masculine voice.

"Do you think he could be useful to us?" the smaller figure enquired in a voice that was clearly female. A movement in the shadows indicated the larger figure shrugged.

"Maybe," he said, "but he might not be a supporter of our cause. Noble as it may be, there are many who disagree with it." The female glanced at him.

"Do you want me to follow him?"

"Not just yet. I'll talk to him. If he is sympathetic to our cause then I'll ask him to join. If not…" The larger one trailed off and smirked, revealing a row of sharp teeth. "Then he's useless to us."


	8. Appearance

_Beta-Reader: Darned4AllEternity_

* * *

**Chapter 12: Appearance**

* * *

**Sam**

"Don't even think about it," I heard Cassie say. I wrenched my eyes away from the gym before me and I turned to face her.

"The leader is ghost type," I told her. "Atrum would be strong against them." Cassie sighed in a condescending way.

"Fantina is the fifth gym leader," she explained, "and Atrum couldn't even beat the kids that wait around in the bushes to challenge random people. You wouldn't stand a chance." I knew it was true but it wasn't a truth I wanted to admit.

"He'll get stronger," I insisted.

"He'd better. I've never seen a pokémon so incompetent." A flash of anger made me grit my teeth.

"Could you go five minutes without insulting me or my starter?"

"Hey, I'm just saying that absol are supposed to be one of the most powerful dark types but Atrum spends all his time falling over." I twisted my scowl and bit my tongue.

"Let's go," I muttered. She scowled and shrugged as we walked away from the gym.

I nodded and we walked off. I couldn't help but admire the city we were in. The buildings were bigger than I had ever seen and everything was so colourful and friendly. The large streets had a lot of people and pokémon. Cassie didn't seem to enjoy the scenery quite as much as I did, though. Her arms remained crossed and she glared at everything nearby. I noticed her inching closer to me though. Casting a quick glance at her, I noticed how tense she was in the crowded city. The rapid flickering in her eyes betrayed her nervousness. I knew she hated being without her pokémon too but I had convinced her to leave them in the Day Care. We could travel easier (and faster) without them, we wouldn't attract as much attention, and they could have some time off from battling to enjoy themselves.

"How long is this sightseeing going to take?" she asked, looking so restless and uncomfortable in the face of the crowd that I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.

"I figured you had a plan for this," I said, then added disparagingly, "you have a plan for everything else." She turned her glare to me but I was used to her ire.

"There's nothing wrong with knowing exactly what you're going to do next. Besides," she added, "I'm doing this for your benefit. The sooner you get a water pokémon the sooner you can challenge the gym again. Hopefully we can get the whole thing over with within a few days." I let out a frustrated groan and rubbed my temples.

"Why is it so necessary to not have any fun on this journey? You treat everything like a chore that needs to be completed as soon as possible."

"That's... Look, the sooner we finish this the sooner we can-"

"What? Move on to the next segment of this wondrous adventure you've planned out to the last detail?" Our anger was palpable now; our argument was beginning to attract stares from the dense crowd of people. And it was very dense. Wherever we had been swept along to, there was a mass of people all around us. The bustle of the crowd pressed in around us. The feeling was almost claustrophobic and the noise was great enough that we had to shout even louder to be heard. I was poked and prodded by the strangers around us. Cassie looked ready to kill someone. She let out a shriek when someone brushed against her a little too intimately to be by accident.

"Can't take this," she muttered and pushed her way out of the crowd. I swore and went after her, ducking and swerving through the crowd as best I could. I almost lost sight of her but spotted her at the edge of the crowd. She looked around and darted inside the nearest door she could see. I followed her inside, squeezing through the open door and closing it gently behind me to block out the roar of the crowd.

I blinked, letting my eyes adjust to the dimmer light. The corridor was plain, unadorned - lit by florescent lighting on the ceiling. It was quiet - a stark contrast to the streets outside. Cassie was sitting with her back against the wall, her arms wrapped around her knees.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I just couldn't take it out there." After a moment of hesitation, I sat down next to her. I said nothing at first, but eventually I turned to look at her.

"Something happened to you, didn't it?" I said. It wasn't exactly a question - which was fine since she didn't respond. She just kept staring down. "That's okay. I guess I haven't been very open about my own life either..." I took a deep breath. I didn't usually talk about my personal life.

"I'm adopted," I said. Cassie looked up at me. "I never knew my parents - they dropped me at the hospital in Celestic Town with a note saying "Sam Jacobs". Vivien Lilly was working there as a nurse and she looked after me. Eventually she just adopted me and she was the only family I had...until she died. Motor neuron disease. She died a lot sooner than expected and left me without any money. I spent so much time looking after her that I didn't think about what I would do afterwards. So, I became a trainer." Cassie didn't say anything and she had gone back to staring at the ground before her. I expected her silence but she looked ashamed of it. "You don't need to tell me anything until you're ready. I just want you to know that...I understand...and I'm here for you."

"I... I don't think I can..."

"That's okay." She hesitated, then looked at me again.

"Thank you." I frowned.

"For what?"

"For...I don't know...putting up with me, I guess. I know I'm crazy. It's just...helped me in the past and...I don't... What is that?" I heard it too: applause. Distant, faint, but definitely there. I shrugged and stood up.

"Let's find out," I said, holding out my hand to Cassie. She stared at it like it was some sort of alien object. I was about to pull my hand away when she gulped and grabbed it. Her hand was pleasantly warm but she held on a little tight and gripped it in the wrong places - like she had forgotten how to hold someone's hand. Or never knew. I pulled her to her feet and let go of her hand - noticing the sigh of relief she gave when I did. I didn't take offense. I was beginning to realise that was just Cassie.

I led the way through the hallway towards what I thought was the source of the noise. It went quiet every now and again - fading out only to rise up again with a crash of clapping and cheering.

"I don't think we're supposed to be in here," I muttered, suddenly unsure of what we were doing. However, Cassie had become interested now; she led the way forward and beckoned me on. The corridor twisted and turned but we followed the noise until we emerged on to a backstage area. Cameras, lights and heavy equipment were being fiddled with and moved around by a small group of people. An enormous red curtain hung in front of us.

"It's a pokémon contest," Cassie whispered.

"We're in the contest hall," I added. The technicians were all too busy to bother us - and presumably they figured we were supposed to be here. Nervous but excited, we walked over to the side of the stage and peered out from behind the curtain. The appeals were in progress. Various pokémon showcased their beauty and talents as the two of us gazed on in wonder.

We saw a pigeot shudder and swirl - tossing out feathery down which enveloped it completely. Without warning, from the centre of the field, it unleashed a hurricane that scattered the feathers all across the stage.

Quickly as I could, I snaked my hand out from behind the curtain and grabbed a feather that was wafting away. I brought my arm back instantly but it didn't seem like anyone had seen me. I breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Cassie, handing her the pigeot feather I had grabbed. As it passed beneath the light it gleamed and shimmered like it was liquid. The golden colour gently melted into cream as it widened at the bottom, then narrowed sharply again. Pigeot feathers have always been considered a luxury item - often adorning high-quality clothing. Cassie knew this as well. Her eyed widened as she took it from me, a red colour spreading in her cheeks and a hand playing with the strands of her hair. She accepted it with a smile - an actual smile - and fixed it in her hair, fidgeting with it until it stuck in place. Her expression grew serious.

"What?" I asked. Cassie pointed and I turned around to see a security guard eyeing us. He stepped forward and I turned backw to Cassie.

"Run," I told her. She reacted faster than I did, darting away to the left. I moved to follow her but one of the technicians blocked my way. I swerved to avoid him and turned to run in the other direction. As I cleared the stage, the applause soared up again and the contestants began to trickle backstage. I ignored them all and ran down the corridor, turning left and turning right until I was well and truly lost. My heart was racing and I paused to catch my breath, one hand leaning against the wall. I heard footsteps behind me and darted into the first room I saw.

I slammed the door shut and pressed against it - holding my ear against the wood so. The muffled sound of footsteps drew closer...and then passed by. After waiting a minute for them to dissipate, I let out a sigh of relief. The feeling vanished when I heard someone loudly clear their throat. Swearing inwardly, I turned to see what I had stumbled in to. The room was larger than I thought it would be. The interior was hot but not enough to cause discomfort. There was a potent smell of perfume which made me blink a few times.

A large mirror dominated the far wall - covered neatly with notes and reminders. The table before it was covered with pokéballs, cosmetics and various other things I didn't recognise. Open wardrobes by the walls revealed a myriad of dresses and shoes of different types. There was an adjoining bathroom and a luxurious leather couch which stood in the middle of the room on a fluffy white carpet. The walls were white too. Finally, a young girl sat in front of the mirror, and she was staring at me with pale blue eyes.

She had thrown one leg over the other and was looking at me curiously. Her skin was the same pale, Sinnoh complexion that I boasted and it was dotted lightly with freckles on her face and forearms. Her stunning red hair was cut short and make-up had been heavily (but tastefully) applied. She wore a flowing, elegant dress that matched the shade of blue in her eyes. She had her arms crossed but it looked more amused than defensive. An expectant smile lightly played upon her face.

"Hi there," she said to me. Not knowing what to do, I replied, "Hi".

"And who might you be?"

"Oh, I'm Sam."

"Nice to meet you, Sam. Is there a reason you're in my dressing room?"

"Sorry. Uh, wrong turn. I'll just go." I went to turn the door handle but heard footsteps approach. "In a minute."

"You sneaked in here." It wasn't a question.

"Unintentionally."

"But did you sneak in to see the contest...?" The girl's smile became playful. "Or to see me...?" She uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on her knee. The movement titled her dress to reveal more of her legs. Was this girl flirting with me? I was so flustered by the mystery girl that I didn't hear the noise of someone approaching. The door was pushed open and I stumbled off to one side as well-built black man strolled in wearing a suit.

"Miss Faraar," he said. "I have your..." He cast a glance in my direction. His eyes narrowed. His shoulders tensed. "Would you like me to remove this man?" Rochelle titled her head and shot me a knowing smile.

"He's with me," she said, and waved him off. "Thank you, Stephen." He didn't look convinced. Still, Rochelle's word was enough. He handed her a pokéball and left the room, glaring at me as he closed the door.

"Thanks," I said to Rochelle. She didn't reply, instead extending her arm and releasing her pokémon. Sparkling stars and shining, multicoloured sparks issued forth from the red light of the pokéball. They swirled around the glowing figure of the newly-formed pokémon: a pigeot. Specifically, the pigeot that had been in the contest earlier. The giant bird cooed and brushed her beak against Rochelle's dress.

"Spectacular as always, Gabrielle," she muttered, lightly snaking one hand through the feathers in her pokémon's head. It was only then that I noticed the winning trophy among the clutter of the dressing table. Realising I'd stumbled into the contest winner's dressing room, my face went red and I began to stutter.

"I'm very- I'm really- I think I'll- very sorry- just let me- very sorry Miss-"

"Rochelle." I blinked.

"What?" She turned her head to me and fixed me that flirtatious half-smile that didn't show teeth.

"Call me Rochelle." Her hand brushed around the surface of the table until her fingers wound around a hairbrush. She picked it up and casually began to brush any dirt and loose feathers from her pigeot. "So," she said, "what brings you to Hearthome?" It was a little strange to be telling this stranger details about my life but she did stop me from being locked up by security.

"Well, I'm a new trainer," I began, "and I only have one pokémon - which is a dark type - so I need a second pokémon to challenge the gym. I came to Hearthome to see if I could find one." Rochelle's eyebrows shot up.

"Kind of a long shot."

"Kind of. But I didn't have another option... But I guess it didn't work since I have no idea where to find another pokémon and have no money to buy one."

"Oh, really? Because it just so happens that I might have the answer to your problem."

"What do you mean?" She kept on smiling.

"You need a new pokémon and I have a pokémon I don't need anymore." Before I could protest, she grabbed a pokéball from her dresser. This time there was no added glamour or sparkle. There was just the usual red light and, where there was nothing before, there now stood a plump, pink pokémon with short stubby legs and a dopey expression.

"Sssssllllooooooooooooooowwww ," it drawled, "pooooooooookkkkkkke!"

"He might not be the most powerful of water types," Rochelle admitted, "but he'll get you through the first gym at least."

"I can't just take your pokémon!" I objected.

"Honestly, you'd be doing me a favour. It's more trouble to keep him than it is to give him away."

"I suppose slowpoke aren't really equipped for contests..."

"That too. He isn't suitable for my day job either."

"This...isn't what you do for a living?" She shook her head.

"Just a hobby. A hobby I happen to be very good at, but a hobby nonetheless."

"So, what_ do_ you do?" She locked eyes with me, a coy smile gracing her red lips.

"Let's leave a few mysteries for the second date." I gulped. My face was turning red and it wasn't from the heat in the room. Rochelle stood up, her dress flowing down as she did so. Her high-heels made her taller than me; without them she would probably be the same height.

"I don't have a pokémon to trade with," I told her. She shrugged.

"Doesn't matter," she said. "I just need to release him so you can recapture him."

"Isn't there a big complicated procedure to officially release a pokémon?" She dropped the pokéball on the ground, steadied it with one toe, and slammed down one high-heel. It smashed the pokéball into small pile of shards of plastic and metal. "...Or you could do that." She was stronger than she looked and the lightning-precision she shattered the pokéball with just screamed of training. She didn't even flinch when the broken shards flew out (nor did her pigeot, which had closed its eyes and seemed to have fallen asleep). Looking closer, I could see how toned her muscles were. She kicked the shards away and turned to me.

"Now all you need to do is capture him." I opened my mouth but she kept going. "Don't worry about any emotional attachment he has to me; he was given to me as a present and I've only had him for a few days. Haven't even named him." She was making sense.

"I...don't have a-" She retrieved another pokéball from the dresser - this one empty. She tossed it to me and I just about caught it with one hand. "He isn't weakened."

"This isn't a battle. It doesn't matter." I didn't know the reason behind it but I believed her. I gulped again, then tossed the sphere at the slowpoke. He didn't even move and the light enveloped him - sucking him inside. A shrill noise emerged after a few seconds and the light faded. Rochelle bent down (slowly) and picked up the stationary pokéball.

"You're brand new slowpoke," she said, pressing it into my hand. Her fingers brushed across my palm.

"So I presume you're on your own," she muttered, tracing invisible lines on my hand. It was getting _really_ hot in here.

"Um, no, I'm actually travelling with this girl I know. Her name's Cassie."

"Oh... I see." She sounded...disappointed? She took her hands away. "So, where's this companion of yours?"

"I'm not sure. We were separated when we..."

"...found yourselves within the contest hall completely by accident and through no fault of your own."

"Exactly."

"Well I suppose we should find her..." She grabbed a handheld radio from her table (it seems she had everything there) and spoke into it.

"Stephen," she said. Her voice instantly adopted a more formal tone and her smile vanished. It was a sudden transformation that seemed a little odd. "There should be a young girl wandering around the complex. Have you located her?" There was a tinge of static and a voice emerged from the radio.

"Yes, Miss Faraar."

"Good. Bring her here." She gave no explanation and her tone left no option for argument.

"Of course, Miss Faraar." Rochelle turned to me.

"Give it a minute," she said. It didn't take long for the door to open again. The same bodyguard from before entered, lightly pushing Cassie in front of him. Her face was twisted by rage and she glared furiously at the man. Her gaze quickly found me and that made her pause. Cassie shot me a look that perfectly conveyed the phrase "What the hell is going on?". I met her gaze and gave her a helpless expression. She scowled and glared suspiciously at Rochelle.

For her part, Rochelle scrutinised Cassie. She looked her up and down before glancing back at me and doing the same. I felt like I was being surveyed by a potential buyer. Exchanging a nervous look with Cassie, I could see she felt the same.

"Sam has been keeping me company," she finally said, talking to Cassie. Cassie looked around and averted her eyes. She toyed with her hair and the pigeot feather that was still sticking out from it. "You're a lucky girl." Cassie's eyes widened and I began to grow red again.

"Uh, we're not..." I trailed off when Rochelle laughed.

"Oh, honey," she muttered, shaking her head knowingly. Cassie tugged on my arm and moved her head towards the door.

"We should probably go," I said to Rochelle. She smiled again and nodded once.

"Take care of your new pokémon," she told me. Cassie shot me a glance and started to pull me out of the room. Rochelle continued to smile flirtatiously at me and waved as the door closed behind us.

"New pokémon?" Cassie inquired as we walked along the corridor away from Rochelle's dressing room. I briefly filled her in on what had happened with Rochelle.

"A slowpoke?" she asked incredulously when I had finished.

"What's wrong with slowpoke?"

"He's not exactly going to be a raging tempest of a pokémon." She sighed. "He'll have to do. What are you calling him?" I thought for a second, then fixed her with a determined glare.

"Tempest." She snorted dismissively, but didn't scowl. I counted that as progress.

(-#-)

**Atrum**

My eyes slowly fluttered open as I drifted into consciousness. I became aware of voices as I groaned and glanced around. I was lying on the ground in one of the ruined buildings. The scratchy sand could be felt beneath me – digging into my fur.

"I hope all these changes of perspective aren't confusing for the readers," I heard Camazotz say. Alice nodded but she obviously didn't have any idea what he was talking about. I groaned again and they seemed to notice me. Alice rushed over to me.

"How are you feeling?" she asked me. I shrugged.

"I'm okay," I answered. Alice didn't look very convinced. I don't know how Camazotz looked. "How's Midnight?"

"Fine," I heard a voice say. Looking up, I saw Midnight at the entrance of the building. She stood in the entrance, partially obscured by the darkness of the interior but also partially illuminated by the sun outside. She stared at me. Her eyes were as cold as they had been when we had fought. Her expression was fixed like it had been carved from stone. She was motionless and her voice was hard.

"Can you give us a minute?" she asked them. She may have phrased it like a question but it wasn't. Camazotz shuddered and flew outside. Alice glanced at both of us. I nodded encouragingly but Midnight didn't even look at her. She tugged at one feather before shuffling reluctantly outside. I kept my eye on Midnight. She was scaring me now. The look she had was one I hadn't seen her wear before.

"How are you feeling, Atrum?" she asked. I gulped.

"I'm okay," I reassured her. "I'm fine – great, in fact. Everything's great- wonderful and fantastic and always will be. Like chocolate. Don't you love chocolate? I think I'll go find some-"

"Sit down."

"And now I'm sitting back down…" I inched away from Midnight until I backed into the wall. I kept looking at Midnight and waited for her to speak. She let the silence reign and it stretched on into what seemed like hours. Logic told me I shouldn't be so frightened of Midnight. She was on my team, after all. Fear and paranoia, however, then killed logic and started screaming at me. That was an odd metaphor even for me but it illustrates my point. My heart was racing and I was beginning to sweat. It was only now when I was in this situation that I realised how intimidating Midnight could be.

"I come from Hoenn originally," she told me. "That's another region far away. There, I was the alpha of my pack until I joined Cassie and Alice." Her eyes narrowed and I felt a shiver down my spine. "It's not easy to defeat the former alpha of a pack of mightyena. Especially when you've never won a single battle and only have a few days experience. Some would say it's impossible. They would say that anyone who could do something like that must be hiding something." Midnight growled and it was simply horrifying. "I will find out what you're hiding." With that, she left the building without looking back. I was about to let out a sigh of relief when I heard something else.

"Atrum, was it?" asked a voice. The breath caught in my throat. I jumped about a metre into the air before looking around, panicking slightly as my paranoia went into overdrive.

"Who's there?" I cried.

"Relax," came the voice again, deep, soft and unmistakably male, "it's just me." My eyes went wide as I saw movement in the shadows next to what was probably once a window. Something rose up and slowly crawled through the opening and inside the ruins. It was huge and long and green. Leaf-like scales covered its long serpentine body. It didn't appear to have any limbs but there was some sort of gold crown on its head. A single pair of red eyes gleamed as it emerged from the shadows and smirked at me.

"The name's Cedric," it… he said. Cedric was at least three times bigger than me and almost exuded a sense of power and strength. I had no illusions that he could easily defeat me and most of the other pokémon in the square – probably without even trying. I gulped and introduced myself.

"Hi there." He smirked again.

"That was quite a display of power out there," he said. I nodded.

"Thanks."

"It's just too bad you've revealed your skills to a mightyena," he commented.

"You…heard what just happened?" He nodded sympathetically.

"Her reaction was to be expected."

"What do you mean?"

"Mightyena are competitive and antagonistic by nature – and so are alphas. Your friend midnight is both." Cedric began to circle around me, which unnerved me even further. "She's used to being the strongest and she's used to being able to control those around her. But now, not only have you beaten her, but also you've beaten her in front of your group. Her position of power has been compromised – she's no longer the unquestionable leader. She has competition. And she hates it." Cedric fell silent and returned to the space where he had landed when he first entered.

"Why are you here?" I asked him. He didn't know me… or maybe he did. "Have we met before?" Cedric's eyes flashed for a moment, confused by my question. Then he shook his head and smirked.

"I'm here on behalf of our cause."

"What cause?" He leaned in closer.

"How do you like being a trained pokémon?" I was surprised by the question and opened my mouth to answer, but he interrupted me before I could. "Because there is an alternative." I froze.

"What do you mean?"

"I represent a group of like-minded individuals – pokémon just like you – who have a mission." I narrowed my eyes.

"What mission?" His red eyes glinted and his thin mouth curved into a cold smirk.

"To free all pokémon from the shackles of humans." I couldn't help but flinch at the amount of hatred he had poured into the word "human." Other than that, I was shocked as to why he would want to do such a thing.

"Why?" I asked. He glared at me and I shivered.

"Humans don't deserve to live on the same planet as us. They have enslaved and humiliated us for hundreds of years. And I have had enough. We have operatives all over the region posing as trained pokémon but we need more allies. Powerful ones like you." I didn't know what to say. It occurred to me that I had had very little experience with humans – save for Sam and Cassie. The hate and disapproval of the humans in Eterna came to mind. I winced as I recalled the looks they had given us. But I remembered how Sam and Cassie had rescued me from the storm and taken me in. I remembered how they had cared for me and kept me even though I was useless. I remembered how I had been given chocolate. It was tempting to do away with Sam but I didn't have the moral authority to decry an entire species when I only had a few days worth of memories to draw on.

"People have just as much right to live as we do," I told Cedric, "and I will not betray my friends." His eyes flashed and I was seriously afraid he might kill me for disagreeing with him. Instead he sighed.

"I'm disappointed in your naivety," he muttered. "You'd rather be a slave to the whims of a human while a mightyena plots your downfall?" I opened my mouth to defend Midnight, but stopped as I remembered our conversation earlier and the look of suspicion she had shown me. Cedric noticed my hesitation.

"Now you finally realize it," he said. "Midnight no longer trusts you. You have given her reason to see you as a threat and so, that is how she will perceive you from now on. If you don't believe in the cause then I would ask you to stay out of our way." He slithered towards the window but stopped suddenly and glanced back at me.

"If you truly need proof that humans don't deserve to live, then you should ask Alice," he told me. "You should ask her about Paul Gunn." He smirked once more before slithering out through the hole in the wall. I remained silent for a minute as I thought about what Cedric had told me. Even if he was right about Midnight, I wasn't leaving the others. I wasn't going to abandon them – especially not Alice. Musing on my situation, I found it ironic that in becoming friends with Alice, I had jeopardized my relationship with Midnight. Camazotz fluttered in and called to me.

"Hey, wake up, man," he said. "Sam and Cassie are back." I nodded and walked outside to greet them. Camazotz led the way down towards the entrance of the park and I followed in silence. He must have realized I didn't feel like talking and gratefully obliged. Eventually, we reached the others where I saw a surprising sight. First of all, Cassie was smiling, not scowling or giving out or being sarcastic, just smiling. It was certainly unusual but it suited her. And there was also the presence of the chubby pink pokémon by Sam's feet. It was, as I've already said, pink, large and plump and it was standing on four stubby legs. It… he was grinning and talking to Midnight while Alice hung back next to Cassie.

"Good show, old girl," he said in reply to something Midnight had said. He spoke with a strange accent unlike anything I had heard before. Camazotz seemed to recognize it however and chuckled.

"A jolly British slowpoke," he muttered to himself, "and I thought my character was odd." I just ignored that like the rest of the nonsense Camazotz spouted. Midnight glanced over when we arrived and grinned as if nothing had happened earlier. She turned back to the pink pokémon, which apparently was a slowpoke.

"This is Camazotz…and Atrum," she said. I noted the hesitation in introducing me – as well as the tension in her voice as she did.

"Marvellous to meet you all, chaps," he said. "My name is Tempest." Tempest grabbed my paw and began to shake it up and down. I was horrified and wasn't sure whether to thank him or knock him out. Alice and Camazotz rescued me by pulling Tempest away from what Camazotz later explained as a "handshake." I noticed that Midnight hadn't helped them. I tried to catch her eye, but she ignored me.

"Come on," Sam called out to us as he started towards the park exit. I examined our group. Cassie was relaxed and smiling, Sam seemed enthusiastic, Alice was quiet but wore a smile, Camazotz was looking less morose, and Tempest was talking to Midnight. For the first time since I met Midnight, I became aware of small things: the way she always walked in front of the others, the way she would look back every now and again to make sure we were behaving, the way she acted in battle, the way she was always the first to talk to new pokémon in the group.

_You can't trust her,_ the voices in my head told me. I was inclined to agree with them. Cedric was right – I couldn't trust Midnight and I would have to be aware of her from now on. She was no longer my friend.

And I would have to watch her every move.


	9. Primary

_Beta-Reader: Onlinewarrior094_

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**Chapter 9: Primary**

* * *

**Hey man, I'm Camazotz – everyone's favourite Mexican drug dealer zubat – and this is my story.**

Tempest had his first battle in Mount Coronet the day after Sam caught him. After he and Cassie had picked us up from the day care we had spent a very tense night in the pokémon centre. Midnight and Atrum weren't speaking to each other for some reason though the arrival of Tempest kept us all occupied. I have to say, I liked him immediately. A touch of optimism was just what our group needed.

"Well, I haven't technically been in a battle before," Tempest explained, "although I did have a trainer." We all huddled around him at the base of Cassie's bed and listened to Tempest. He was fairly plump - even for a slowpoke - and he wore a dopey, friendly grin. His smile was constant and implacable. You got the impression that nothing on earth would stop him from being as happy and jolly as he could. Everyone liked him. It was impossible not to; it would be like not liking a puppy.

"Who was she, man?" I asked in place of the group.

"Her name was Rochelle," he said, "and she obtained me from a friend to compete in contests." Whoever this girl was, she was pretty ambitious for trying to use a slowpoke in pokémon contests. Anyway, we left early in the morning to go to Oreburgh City and we battled everything in sight on the way there – wild pokémon and trainers alike. A few minutes earlier, Cassie had challenged a black belt trainer and at that moment I was flying around a machop who was yelling and swearing while jumping up and down, trying to catch me.

"Come down and fight me you goddamn bat!" he yelled. And that was the least colourful of his curses.

"Hey man, relax," I told him. "Maybe you should lie down for a while. You look stressed." The machop turned red and screamed as he jumped up higher. I flew up a few centimetres out of the way.

"Hey man, you almost had me there," I reassured him. "Try again. Oh, so close. Just a little higher, nearly there. Hey what's the matter, you getting tired?" I bit him a few times and got some health back.

"Camazotz!" I heard Cassie yell. "Stop messing around and finish him." I gave a sigh, not wanting to stop tormenting the machop. It may have been sadistic but it was also fun. Eventually, I flew down and knocked him out with two wing attacks.

"Well that was fun," I commented. "What next?"

"BONSLY!" I heard something fly through the air and ducked as it crashed into a rock.

"No, bonsly, no!" a male human cried. He ran over to the useless limp rock and started to cry. Looking away, I saw everyone staring at the pair. Everyone, that is except for Atrum who seemed to be trying to remove rock fragments from between his claws. Although Sam watched the human run away with his bonsly rather guiltily, we all moved on quickly.

I should probably explain.

You see ever since Atrum had defeated Midnight, he had become practically unstoppable in battle. Every attack was a perfectly executed critical hit and no pokémon could even touch him. It was impressive but Atrum didn't seem too happy about it.

"I just don't see what could have happened," Sam said to Cassie after we had moved on. "I mean he was only at the day care for a few hours."

"Look, don't worry about it," Cassie replied with a dismissive shrug. "He's stronger now. Who cares how it happened." Sam eventually nodded in agreement but not without glancing over at Atrum. We finally reached the entrance of Mount Coronet, although we paused before going inside. Sam gulped as he gazed inside. He nervously ran a hand through his hair and peered inside the entrance. It seemed so big, so absolute before our small group. Like a gateway into hell. Cassie didn't seem to be affected.

"Would you like me to give you a minute?" she asked mockingly.

"Don't patronise me," Sam shot back and walked inside after a moment's hesitation. Cassie sniggered and followed him with the rest of us trailing after them. I stopped for a moment as I took in the familiar scents and sounds of my home. In the darkness of the cave I was aware of everything. Stalactites and stalagmites were scattered through the gargantuan cavern and the steady drip of water could be heard plummeting to the ground. The noise was loud and clear to my enhanced hearing with every burst of water like a miniscule explosion.

Midnight and Tempest were talking while Alice and Atrum walked together after them. The first time Sam and Cassie passed through here, they could barely stop arguing enough to take notice of their surroundings. Now they were talking pleasantly to each other. I still didn't know them that well, but apparently this was a rare occurrence.

Meanwhile, I felt like I was being watched – and I was right. Obviously, I couldn't see them – being blind – but I knew the other zubats were there. I could hear their chatter in Spanish as they flittered just out of reach of my echolocation. They darted behind the rocks and through the cracks in the walls. I recognised one voice in particular as one zubat broke off from the others..

"Vete a la chingada!" I heard him yell as he flew down towards us. He fluttered around everyone while swearing in Spanish and English. He always was creative that way. I guess he had to be creative some way. He was big for a zubat and dumb as a rock.

"Fuck off, Carlos!" I yelled at my former friend.

"Hey fuck you!" he yelled back. "You abandoned our gang you traitor! You dead to us, man!" His words stung like acid and I couldn't help but wince. He flew towards Sam who yelled and ducked, crouching to the ground. "Fuck off you cabrons!" I sighed. Carlos began to fly around Tempest. "You like this, man? You like this you pinche culero?" Tempest huffed and tried to hit him - reaching out with one stubby leg - but couldn't reach. Sam started to yell orders at Tempest while Cassie yelled orders at him.

"Try hitting him with water gun!" Sam said. Cassie shook her head.

"No, put him to sleep first! Use yawn!"

"Try dancing around!" I suggested. "He's easily confused, so he might not be able to hit you!" All this time, Carlos was continuing to torment Tempest who looked very confused, though I'm not sure if it was because of Carlos' swearing or the cries of Sam and Cassie. Maybe my helpful advice contributed too.

"Use water gun!"

"No, use yawn!"

"Dance, Tempest, dance!" Eventually, Tempest got fed up and shot a blast of confusion at Carlos. It hit him and knocked him against a rock wall. Tempest waddled over to him.

"I say, are you alright?" he asked, apparently concerned.

"Cabron," Carlos muttered before falling unconscious. Sam and Cassie congratulated Tempest on his first battle and victory. I didn't want to say anything since Tempest was so happy with winning, but beating a zubat wasn't that big of an achievement. Quickly glancing around I fluttered over to Carlos. He was lying face down in an awkward looking position where the cave wall met the ground. He was actually drooling. I felt a pang of guilt I loomed over my zubat who was my best friend once. A part of me wanted to stay just for the sake of loyalty but I couldn't.

Seeing his face every day was too painful. The memories were too painful. And besides, Cassie had captured me so I had had no choice but to go. And so, with one last look at Carlos, I followed the others towards the end of the cave.

"So that's it then?" I heard someone say. "You're just leaving?" I winced as I heard the familiar voice. My ears drooped and my wing beat slowed.

"Cruzita," I muttered.

"Aren't you going to face me?" she asked. The hurt was evident in her voice. Sighing, I turned around to see another zubat close by.

"What do you want, Cruzita?" I asked her. She backed away slightly as if stung.

"I want to know I meant something to you!" she shot back. "That you weren't just waiting to run away this whole time!" The pained tremor in her voice sent lacerations down my soul. I searched in vain for something to say.

"What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to stay!" She yelled it out with anguish in her voice. I stayed calm, my voice neatral.

"I can't do that."

"So you're just leaving me for that _puta_?" Her torment had been replaced with anger as she spat out her words with a glare at my trainer's back. The change was sudden but I was used to Cruzita's rapidly shifting emotions. Still, her words made me angry.

"Hey, I have to leave! I have a trainer now! And Cassie isn't a puta."

"I thought you never wanted another trainer!" We were yelling now and I think we were starting to attract the attention of some other zubats.

"Yeah, well, I was wrong. Besides, I have to go, for the sake of the plot."

"Fuck the plot!" Oh, that would not go down well with the other zubats. I could hear the angry chatter of them now - enraged by Cruzita's comment. She ignored them and continued talking. "I want you here with me! Or does the time we spent together mean nothing to you?" And there it was: the guilt. She went straight for my week point. She knew me too well.

"You still have Carlos," I said meekly. I knew it wasn't much of a consolation but I had to say something. She just scowled in response.

"That idiota? I caught him yesterday trying to drink his _own_ blood. It took me an hour for me to explain why it was a bad idea."

"Come on, Camazotz," I heard Cassie yell. Cruzita glared at me.

"So, that's your name now? Camazotz?" She said it jeeringly. I stayed quiet. "Just answer me this. Are you really prepared to leave after everything we've been through? After the drug ring? After Juan?" I gulped, knowing what I was about to say would hurt her but it needed to be said.

"That ended a long time ago Cruzita… and so did we. I'm sorry." After that, I turned my back on her and flew off towards Cassie, ignoring Cruzita's screams. "Come back! I love you! I hate you! Don't leave me!" I cursed my hearing when the sound reached my ears.

"I wonder what that was about," Sam wondered aloud when I rejoined the group.

"I think he was just making a new friend," Cassie replied.

"Is everything okay?" I heard Alice ask. I smiled through my feelings of pain and anguish.

"Hey man, of course." I reassured her and paused. "Thanks." Alice nodded and shuffled away nervously. It was nice that someone was concerned for me. I sensed the entrance coming up ahead and sighed as we passed through and I left my home again. Probably for the last time. I shook my head and kept smiling, trying not to think about Cruzita and the home I had left behind.

(-#-)

**My name is Tempest and I dearly hope you enjoy my story.**

When we left the dark confines of the mountain cave, we emerged onto a lovely rugged lane.

"What a marvellous avenue," I exclaimed as we wandered past.

"What's so great about it?" Atrum enquired. "All I see is a bunch of rocks."

"Why, you've just got to learn to see the beauty in ordinary objects," I told him cheerfully and pointed nearby. "Why, take that one over there. What do you think that is?" Alice, Atrum, Midnight and Camazotz all turned to see where I was pointing.

"That's a rock," Midnight said.

"Or?"

"I think it's just a rock," Alice said shyly.

"Or?"

"How long are you going to keep saying that?" Atrum enquired.

"Oh, I got it, man!" Camazotz cried out. "It just looks like a rock but it's really some kind of seemingly worthless object which will become important at a later date at which point it saves us all from some kind of catastrophe." We all turned and stared in bewilderment at our flying friend. "Sorry, man. Go on." I shook my head and shuffled over, grabbing the object in my mouth. Upon closer inspection it was a sizable white-grey claw which I showed to everyone else. No one seemed impressed apart from Camazotz who chuckled to himself and offered to take it from me while muttering something to Alice about a "Chekov." I was glad someone thought it was extraordinary so I cheerfully entrusted it to him. It wasn't long before we reached the marvellous city of Oreburgh. I understand that Midnight, Alice and Atrum had already been here for a brief while.

"Why, whatever is that?" I asked, pointing off into the distance. Atrum came up beside me and explained.

"That's the mine," he told me sounding very knowledgeable. "It's where the humans dig up stuff called… um… cole…and then they burn it or put it a museum where you can go and see digging."

"Why, how astounding!" I exclaimed. "Why would they do such a thing?"

"They're really stupid."

"I see." I heard Sam calling me over and I shuffled towards him. He bent down and looked me in the eye.

"Okay, Tempest," he said with a sombre expression. "It's time you were in a gym battle. Now, Roark is the gym leader and his pokémon are all rock type so you should be strong against them. Are you ready?"

"Certainly, dear boy," I said with enthusiasm, "lead on." Sam continued staring at me until Atrum leaned in and spoke to me.

"He's not great at realising what we're saying," he said. I nodded and waddled past him and Sam towards the door. I pushed open the door with my two front paws and shuffled inside.

"I guess that means he's ready," I heard Sam comment as he and the rest of the group followed me inside. A few trainers were scattered around the gym talking or battling with their pokémon – which were almost all geodudes. I wondered if it was some sort of fashion. Sam discussed the terms of the battle with another human who I presumed was Roark as Cassie did her best to hide behind the pokémon. I stood by Sam's side as I readily prepared for the battle. Atrum sat at the other side of him, nervously glancing around. I heard Sam tell me, "you're up" and I walked across the hard, course rocky gym floor towards the centre.

Roark released his geodude in a flash of red. He stood facing me and stared me down from the other side of the field. He narrowed his eyes and thumped the ground with one hand as he prepared to fight.

It was all very exciting.

Suddenly, Roark yelled out "stealth rock" and the battle began. When I looked up next there were several pointed rocks floating around me. They were pointed towards me and I found myself entranced by them as they slowly floated across the field. I think I heard Sam shouting something but I didn't hear him. I was engrossed with the floating rocks. Suddenly, I was knocked over as the geodude slammed into me.

"That wasn't very nice," I said to him. He just shrugged and threw more rocks at me.

How rude.

I heard Sam shouting water gun so I decided to oblige. I puffed up my cheeks and shot a jet of water at the geodude. He shouted something rather insensitive as he went flying through the air, propelled by the force of the water. I waddled over to see if he was alright but he was recalled before I reached him. Roark called his next pokémon out – a cranidos.

"Good evening, chap," I said to him with a smile on my face. Roark cried out "head butt" and the cranidos ran at me.

"Get out of the way, Tempest!" I heard Sam yell.

"Don't worry, Sam, I'm sure he won't- ooof!" The cranidos slammed into me and knocked me over.

"Oh, my," I muttered as I dizzily shook my head and stumbled forward, shooting a stream of water at Sam's bequest. The cranidos leered at me and pawed the ground with one foot.

"Prepare for a world of pain!" It shouted – and rather loudly too – as it began to run towards me. It gained speed rather quickly.

"Confusion!" I heard Sam shout.

"Marvellous suggestion, my boy," I told him. "Why, I never realised what an amazing- oh my, he's getting closer." It seemed I had forgotten about the cranidos. Thankfully, I managed to release a blast of confusion before he hit me, but it was indeed very close. He began stumbling around as the confusion took effect.

"Prepare… pain… waffles…" he muttered and shook his head as he focused on the sight in front of him. He gave a battle cry and rushed forward into a wall, upon which he hit his head and fainted. The gym leader returned him and sent out his next pokémon.

"My, you are very tall," I commented as I stared up at the onix. He stared back down at me and smirked.

"'Sup," he said.

"Water gun!" Sam cried. I turned back to face him.

"In a moment, dear chap," I said, "first I must finish my discussion with this friendly onix." The said onix hurled rocks at me and I was knocked on my back once again. "Never mind, it appears he has grown weary of our conversation." At this point I was feeling tired and so I let out a loud yawn. Sam seemed to approve and so did Cassie. I saw the onix blinking drowsily as he yawned as well – though it came out as a deafening roar. I yawned again, growing even more tired and this provoked yet another yawn from my rocky friend. Eventually, the onix just collapsed in the middle of the field – sound asleep and snoring loudly. I heard Sam's cries of congratulations but I ignored them as I slowly began to waddle over to the fallen onix. It took a while, but I managed to climb its boulder-like body until I reached its head. There, I yawned one last time before curling up, closing my eyes and falling fast asleep.

(-#-)

**Sam**

My joy at seeing the onix fall quickly vanished when Tempest climbed up on to it and fell asleep. Cassie and I glanced at each other, our mouths agape as we watched both pokémon sleep next to each other in the middle of the field.

"Well, I've never seen anything like that before," I heard Roark say with a tone of disbelief. We both looked over as he walked towards us, also gazing at the sight of Tempest and the onix.

"Really?" I asked, a little hopefully, I was pretty embarrassed to hear it. "Never?" Roark shook his head.

"Nope, but I guess you shouldn't argue with what works. I remember one trainer who managed to take down my cranidos with a shinx and a charmander. I wonder what ever happened to her…" Roark trailed off, seeming to reminisce about old memories. He shook his head and turned back to me and Cassie. "Can I give you two some advice?" We both nodded and Roark looked at me. "You need to use some strategy in your battles instead of an all out offensive. You should also train your pokémon to listen to you more. That slowpoke was only paying attention half the time." I nodded in understanding and he looked over at Cassie. "And you should really stop yelling at people so much. Especially gym leaders." Cassie blushed and nodded as she averted her gaze. Roark smiled and turned back to me as he gave me a small, shiny object. I grinned and laughed as I got my first badge. Even better, he handed me a lot of money. Something suddenly occurred to me and I ran over to the sleeping onix. I gently shook Tempest from side to side – trying to wake him up.

"That's never going to work," Roark told me. "You're never going to wake up a sleeping slowpoke by shaking him. Ya gotta poke it with a stick." I stared at Roark.

"What?" He shrugged and took off his helmet as he walked towards us. Then, to my horror, he hit Tempest over the head with the helmet.

"What are you doing?" I cried and tried to hit him away as I checked to see how hurt Tempest was. Remarkably, it hadn't bothered him at all. He lazily shook his head and yawned. I was slightly confused and looked at Roark to ask him what had happened. He frowned at my expression of confusion.

"Don't you know anything about slowpoke?" he asked.

"Um…" I wasn't sure how to answer that so I just trailed off.

"Most kids study for years before becoming a trainer. I'm guessing this isn't what you did." He was right. As I said before, I wanted to be a trainer when I was young but that was when I was eight and the dream didn't last when I grew up. I didn't really know anything about being a trainer.

"Well, no. I just became a trainer a few days ago."

"You might want to read up about your pokémon. By learning more about them you can look after them better and change your battle style to compliment their behaviour and strengths." I nodded in agreement. It certainly made sense. Tempest yawned once more and rolled off the onix. He shuffled over towards Cassie and the other pokémon as I continued talking to Roark.

"I'll do that," I told him and he nodded. Having nothing left to say, I bid goodbye to the gym leader and walked over to Cassie and our pokémon who were waiting patiently near the door. We walked outside and I looked over at Cassie who was biting her lip and not looking at me.

"I know you're dying to say something so just-"

"Roark was right," she blurted out, "you have no strategy in your battles and you don't know anything about your pokémon." I sighed.

"Well, thanks for your support."

"You know I'm right."

"Did you study for years before becoming a trainer?"

Cassie brushed away a strand of hair from her face as her mouth twitched upward to form a smile. "I've wanted to be a trainer my entire life. It's all I've ever wanted and I've been preparing for it since I was eight years old."

"That doesn't make me feel much better." I suddenly noticed something about Cassie. "You've still got that feather." Cassie still wore the pigeot feather I gave her in her hair.

"Maybe I like it," she said defensively, toying with a strand of her hair. I smiled before speaking again.

"So what happens now?" I asked her.

"The next gym is back in Eterna: grass type."

"Great, we'll head back up Route 206 and-"

"Actually, can we go back by Jubilife City?" she asked, interrupting me mid-sentence. "There're some things I need to do there."

"Oh, okay. Sure." After a brief silence, I gazed down at my newly won money and grinned. Up until now we had been supported by the free food at pokémon centres but now we could afford to get some real tasty food in a restaurant. I looked around to see my companions. Cassie walked beside me with Camazotz flying uncomfortably close to my shoulder. Midnight walked just in front of Cassie while Tempest shuffled on behind her. Alice and Atrum trailed after us.

I couldn't help but smile at the sight of everyone here with me. A few weeks ago my only family was dead; I was broke and homeless with no idea what to do. But now I was a travelling, mildly successful trainer. I mean I know it wasn't perfect: my starter wouldn't let me near him, I don't know anything about my pokémon and I was convinced Cassie's zubat was going to kill me in my sleep, but those were minor things. Cassie caught me looking at her and frowned.

"What?" she asked. I smiled and shook my head.

"Alright, who's hungry?" I asked, holding up the money I had won. "Dinner's on me."

(-#-)

Night fell quickly in Eterna City. The temperature plummeted as soon as the sun dropped below the horizon leaving a cold chill in the air. Eterna wasn't far north enough to get the cold weather of Snowpoint, but it still got a mild form of it. The city was mostly quiet; with the exception of a particularly noisy hoothoot. It was eventually silenced by its trainer after cries of anger from neighbouring houses and a small explosion. Just another normal day.

Like the rest of the city, the pokémon centre was quiet; almost empty of people. A doctor strolled through the hallways with a blissey following him obediently. He was quite tall with short black hair and glasses that made his eyes look bigger than they actually were. He had always hated having to wear them but he was far-sighted and couldn't see well without them. He glanced down at his watch and looked back behind him.

"Hurry up, Carla," he said and stopped for a moment. After a few seconds, a chansey turned the corner and waddled up to the waiting doctor and Laverne; his blissey. When Carla finally caught up with them the doctor moved off again, walking towards his office. He passed a familiar nurse on the way and smiled at her as she passed by.

"Good night, Joyce," he said to which the nurse simply smiled.

"Goodnight, Ryan," she said. He gazed at her as she left and whistled to himself. Laverne lightly slapped him on the leg and pointed after Joyce but the doctor shook his head.

"Look, I'll ask her out tomorrow, now will you quit bugging me about it?" Laverne seemed to consider it for a moment before pointing again. The doctor laughed and continued walking. "Come on. I still need to get some paperwork done."

(-#-)

Joyce glanced back down the corridor as Ryan walked off and assured herself that she would finally ask him out tomorrow. She stopped in the corridor to examine her reflection in the window and adjusted her long, brown hair. She frowned and walked off towards the exit. She paused for a moment as she heard voices and looked around to find their source. They were definitely female and came from the lobby. Joyce decided to investigate and pushed open a nearby door to see two figures standing by the reception desk, arguing. They wore all black and their faces were concealed beneath hoods but it was clear from their voices that they were female.

"Well maybe if you hadn't forgotten how to get here then we would have arrived hours ago!"

"Maybe if you hadn't slowed me down with all your questions then I would have arrived days ago! _Shouldn't we have turned left here? I don't think this is the right way. Did you forget to pack a map? Did you bring the guns? Did you-_"

"You know, you're absolutely right. I did slow you down. Next time I'll let you get lost. Maybe then you'll finally learn to respect your elders!"

"Bitch, you're only two months older than me!"

"Yeah, well-"

"Excuse me," Joyce said at last.

"What?" the two women asked in perfect unison as they both spun around to face her.

"Can I help you?" One woman opened her mouth to answer but the other one spoke up before she could.

"Sure, can you tell us where to find Doctor Ryan Cox?"

"Of course. He's in his office right down the hall. It's the last door on the right."

"Thank you." The woman who spoke looked at the other one. "See how easy it is to ask someone where someone is. Maybe you should try it next time instead of wandering aimlessly around the mountains like an idiot." The other woman scowled and reached into the inside pocket of her coat. She took out a gun and shot Joyce – firing four consecutive times. Joyce only heard a mild ringing in her ears as the gun went off; the sound had been dulled somehow. Her vision began to blur as she glanced down to see her bleeding chest. She made a pathetic attempt to speak but it merely resulted in her coughing up blood. She clutched at the bleeding wounds to no avail and collapsed to the ground. The two women stepped over her and walked off – ignoring her sobs and cries as she slowly bled to death on the pokémon centre floor.

The two women walked down the hallway together. They weren't arguing anymore; their attention was focused on the task that had been assigned to them. They reached Ryan's office and walked inside to see him filling out forms on his desk while a blissey and a chansey examined x-rays in the corner. The doctor frowned and looked at his watch as the two women entered.

"You shouldn't be here this late-"

"Shut up." Ryan was interrupted by the women as they pointed guns at him and his pokémon. Ryan froze and sat with his mouth agape. He began to sweat, unable to look away from the barrel of the gun pointed at his forehead.

"What do you want?" he asked them.

"Information," one woman replied. "Over a week ago – we're not sure of the exact date – an absol was brought in here by someone. It was severely injured and riddled with bullet holes." Ryan gulped. Then his eyes flashed suddenly. One of the women glanced behind her and thought she saw a flash of blue but it was gone in moments. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes.

"I remember it," the doctor quickly replied. "What do you want to know?" The woman slowly reached up and took off her hood to reveal her face at last. Ryan's eyes widened in shock as he saw the woman's familiar face. She had a long face and purple eyes but her most distinctive feature was her hair. It was dark purple and tied back in two buns; one each at the top and bottom of her head. It was the face of a wanted felon. Jupiter leaned in closer and looked Ryan in the eye.

"I want to know _everything_."


	10. Competition

_Beta-Reader: OnlineWarrior094_

* * *

**Chapter 10: Competition**

* * *

**Cassie**

Sam didn't buy us dinner; I wouldn't let him. As much as I would have loved to eat in an expensive restaurant, I knew we would need the money for more practical things. I don't think I've ever seen anyone in my life look more disappointed than Sam that evening. We walked along the counter of the pokémon center's cafeteria, with a tray each. The lunch lady scooped some food into them, and we made our way to the nearest empty table, after Sam thanked her of course. We sat down and I immediately began gulping down my food. Sam stared at me and raised an eyebrow as I finished the bowl of soup I had ordered and moved quickly onto the pasta.

"What?" I asked defensively. My mouth was still filled with food and a few crumbs fell out. I swallowed before continuing. "I'm hungry." Sam nodded slowly and I returned to my food. I know a lot of girls are insecure about their bodies but it's just never bothered me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've got some serious issues, it's just that none of them involve my weight. After finishing the two sandwiches and gulping down the bottle of water in one go, I turned back to Sam.

"All I'm saying," I began, "is that we need the money for more important things and we can't afford to waste it on a night out at a fancy restaurant."

"What do we need?" he asked. I wondered if I was ever this ignorant about training.

"So far we've been lucky, we've always reached a pokémon centre before nightfall," I explained, "but it's not always going to be like that. So, we're going to need tents, food provisions, sleeping bags and anything else necessary to survive in the wild. We also need items for pokémon battles: potions, full heals, all that stuff." Sam nodded and began picking at his bowl of pasta. I waited for about a minute before asking,

"Are you going to eat that?" I thought I saw a hint of a smile as Sam pushed the bowl over towards me.

"Go ahead," he said and I dove into it with relish.

(-*-)

As usual, we got up early in the morning. The sun was high in the sky and the thin layer of fog that had been present the previous night was slowly vanishing, there was still a crisp, cool chill in the air. Of course to me it was goddamn freezing! I sometimes wonder why I came to Sinnoh in the first place. Why didn't I go to Kanto or Johto? It was too expensive to go to Unova so I couldn't have gone even if I wanted to. I suppose I came here because of all the legends surrounding the region – I'm a sucker for history. Actually, that's wrong. I know the real reason I came here and it wasn't for the history.

I hugged the quilt close to me as I got up out of bed and trudged towards the cabinet where my clothes were. As usual, Midnight awoke the moment I had and was watching me from the edge of the bed where she always slept. Alice slept curled up in the corner on a pillow and Camazotz hung upside down from a coat hanger in the closet. After I dressed myself in four layers of clothes, I heard a light tapping noise from the closet.

"Could you get that, Alice?" I asked. Alice squeaked an affirmative and rushed over. She jumped up and grabbed the knob, pulling open the closet in an amazing act of acrobatics. Camazotz fluttered out and around the room as I grabbed my bag and opened the door. I walked straight down the hall and into Sam's room without hesitation. He was sitting on the bed, rustling through his bag. Tempest sat by his foot wearing his usual dopey grin and Atrum stood a reasonable distance away. Sam glanced up when I entered.

"You really need to stop doing that," he told me.

"What?"

"Barging into my room like that. I could have been changing."

"You're always up before me. Are you ready to go?" He nodded and gathered up the rest of his stuff as we left. Sam tensed as Camazotz drifted near him.

"Don't tell me he still bothers you," I said as we left the pokémon centre.

"Oh come on, are you telling me there isn't a single pokémon that scares you?"

"Of course not. Don't be ridiculous." There was but there was no way in hell I was going to tell him that. Sam stopped suddenly and glanced across to the other side of the road.

"I'll be back in a minute," he said and ran over to a bookshop nearby with Atrum and Tempest following him inside. After a moment's hesitation, I did the same.

"Come on, guys," I told my pokémon. The door swung open with a slight push and the sound of a bell chimed above the door. I glanced up to see a chingling sitting on the door frame. It chimed again as Camazotz flew up towards it. I looked around and found the building was a relatively small bookshop, but every inch was covered with books piled high on bookshelves. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath – inhaling the musty scent of the books. Maybe that seems a little weird but books calm me down. I always loved reading but lately I just don't get much time anymore. Sam was talking to a bespectacled old man at the counter when I walked in and was carrying a handful of books.

"I have just the thing," he told Sam and – after reaching down below the desk – handed him a large leather bound book. Sam examined it briefly, flicking through the pages.

"I'll take it," he said and handed the man some money, and added the new book to considerable pile already in his arm. We continued to look around the shop for a while, the other pokémon took the time to explore the small shop, but Alice stayed close to me, and Camazotz preferred to converse with the chingling at the door.

After we'd left, I turned to Sam.

"What's all that?" I asked Sam who handed me the top book.

"A Beginner's Guide To Pokémon," I said aloud, reading the cover, "by Professor Kudzu." I handed the book back to him and he immediately opened it and began reading. He continued to read all the way through town, every time he came close to walking into something, Tempest would nudge him out of the way. I sighed, realising I wouldn't have anyone to talk to while he was engrossed in the books. This was going to be a _long_ day.

(-#-)

**Atrum**

We entered Oreburgh Gate right after leaving the city. Apparently it was the quickest route to Jubilife City – our newest destination. Of course since Sam had spent most of the time reading his "books" (as Alice had informed me) Cassie had taken over our training. Though it was mostly the others who trained, as apparently I was invincible. Tempest was the newest member and the weakest so he was getting most of it along with Camazotz. And I have to say, after blasting the hundredth geodude unconscious, Tempest looked exhausted. He was panting and moving even slower than normal.

"I'll just rest here for a moment, chaps," he said – cheerful as ever as he leaned against the cave wall, "and as soon as I catch my breath, I'll resume our wonderful training." It appeared that nothing could diminish that slowpoke's optimism. Camazotz however remained in his usual mellow, relaxed state and frequently told us to "chill, man". I didn't know what he was talking about, but thankfully Alice was more than happy to translate.

"He's telling you to calm down."

"I see." I didn't, but that's beside the point. Cassie called for Alice to take part in the battle. She left, replacing Midnight in a glorious crusade against what appeared to be a small yellow duck. Midnight caught my eye and I got up and left before she came over. We were still avoiding each other. Curious as to what Sam was actually reading about, I decided to find out and strolled over to him. I glanced over his shoulder at the book entitled "In Darkest Night" by Professor Yzma Obsidian. I started reading it but there weren't any pictures and Sam moved the pages too fast for me to keep up. I did gather that it was all about the dark type and the pokémon it applied to. Camazotz fluttered over to me and stared at me.

"Are you _reading_ that?" he asked me. I frowned, confused by the question.

"Am I not allowed to?" Camazotz opened his mouth to answer but stopped at the sound of Cassie's voice escalated. Sam, Camazotz and I all turned to see her standing in front of an old man. At least I think it was a man but then again, he did have long hair and the a skirt and I didn't know enough about humans to be sure. Standing beside the sneering old man-woman was a huge hulking pokémon that looked a little like a geodude. Except, of course, for the fact that it was almost as tall as I was and it had four arms. It looked pretty formidable too. I didn't hear most of their conversation as I may or may not have been examining a funny shaped rock but when I turned around, Sam and Cassie were arguing with the man-woman. He said something to the pokémon who – as I gathered from the conversation was a graveler – slammed Alice into the wall and knocked her out with such a force that the rock cracked.

Time seemed to stop in that instant. Cassie cried out and ran over to Alice's unmoving body as Sam started yelling. Tempest stood dumbfounded as the man-woman laughed and even Camazotz was visibly fazed. I gazed at Alice's unmoving body and stopped.

_He hurt her, _the whispers told me, _he hurt Alice. Make him pay…_ As always, the whispering voices were right. My body tensed and I took a step forward, my claws digging into the ground beneath me.

"I'll handle this," Midnight said condescendingly as she growled deeply and flattened her body. She jumped suddenly and soared through the air above me. With her fangs bared, she gave a loud roar as she landed on the graveler and bit into him, provoking a cry of pain. The rock beast reached up to grab Midnight but she nimbly avoided his grasp, scuttling around his body and biting his back. The man-woman barked an order and his pokémon ran backwards into the wall of the cave. However, Midnight jumped out of the way just in time and hit him with a sand attack. The graveler yelled out, but only briefly, before returning to the task at hand. Raising all four arms, the graveler gave a roar and thrust them all into the ground at the same time. I fell over as a massive, earth shattering tremor emanated from where graveler had struck. Midnight yelped as she was knocked into the wall. It only got worse for her from there on out.

The graveler grabbed a handful of rocks in each of its four arms and threw them at Midnight when she tried to get up. Midnight coughed and spluttered fell back to the ground. She just managed to pull herself to her feet, and tried to stagger away, but her opponent curled up into a ball and struck her. Midnight was knocked back into the wall once more. She continued her attempts to escape but the graveler grabbed her by the throat and pinned her with one arm. She choked and frantically tried to swat him away with feeble attempts and pathetic results.

And then, suddenly, there was something on top of the graveler – wrestling him away from his victim. Upon closer examination, I realised it was me.

"Get off!" the graveler yelled gruffly.

_He's hurting her... make him pay. _I decided to obey the voices in my head; which at the time seemed like a perfectly reasonable course of action. At the voices bequest I leapt backwards off the rugged surface of his back and up to the cave ceiling.

"Hello," I said to a flock of zubats staring at me in fascination, "don't mind me." I hit the ceiling and pushed forward with my hind legs, shooting down like a rocket. I leered at him as I descended and he looked away for a moment. Meanwhile, the voices continued to tell me what do. I hit the ground running, turning my body slightly to the left and angling my horn downwards. As he was still looking away, I slammed into his legs and sent him flying. I zoomed away with a quick attack, and two seconds later I hit him with another. The graveler groaned and got to its feet but I wasn't even close to finished. After delivering a scratch to his eyes, I began to taunt him. Enraged and injured, the graveler roared and ran towards me. I timed it perfectly; tripping up the graveler so he became unbalanced. I would have hit the ground hard, but then I delivered a quick attack, with enough momentum to send him flying into the wall. With a vociferous (that's a funny word) crash, a part of the cave wall collapsed on top of him.

He didn't get back up again.

But I waited a few more seconds, just to be sure.

For the first time since the beginning of the battle I became aware of my surroundings. It was strange, but during the battle I had blocked almost everything… or perhaps the voices had. Either way, it was as if nothing else existed save for me and my opponent. Everyone was staring at me and Cassie was muttering about levels or something. I strolled over to Midnight and tryed to help her up but she bit me.

"Ow!" I cried, nursing my paw. I may just have been in a battle with a rock pokémon that weighed a tonne and was supposedly twice as powerful as I was… but that really hurt. Midnight glared at me and I got the feeling she was impaling me with her mind. She grabbed my fur and pulled my head closer, hissing at me,

"I could have handled him!" That statement probably would have been more believable if she wasn't bruised and bleeding, needing to take a deep breath before and after each sentence.

"I was just helping," I protested, but this just seemed to make her even angrier. And by "angrier" I mean "ready-to-rip-my-head-off-and-eat-it-furious". She continued talking.

"I don't need your help! I'm the leader of this group! I'm the strongest! And I will not have you impeach on my authority!"

"You could have been killed if I hadn't stopped him!"

"I could have handled it!"

"And what if you couldn't?"

"Then I would have kept fighting until he was beaten or I was dead! Because that's what I do!" I was totally shocked by her twisted philosophy.

"You're crazy!"

"Maybe, but at least I'm… duck!" Now, it may seem pretty obvious to you what she meant, but at the time all I could think of was,

"At least you're a duck?" Before I had time to figure out what that meant, a half-tonne bird slammed into me with take down. I somersaulted through the air a few times before dropping down unceremoniously next to a wild psyduck, who then ran away screaming in a high pitched feminine voice. I tried to move but that just provoked a groan.

"Okay, that hurt," I muttered and inclined my head so I could see properly. The man-woman (still wasn't sure which one) had apparently released another pokémon while I was arguing with Midnight. He/she/it wasn't laughing anymore though; instead he had an angry sneer on his face. Not as angry as Midnight but still pretty mad. Also mad looking was the brownish-grey feathery bird pokémon that hovered beside him – keeping itself in the air by beating its enormous wings. The blood-red crest on the top of its head made it seem even more large and frightening.

"Take it down, staraptor," the man-woman said coldly.

"Consider it done, Grant," the staraptor replied.

_The claws are the weak spot, _the voices told me,_ aim for the claws! _As the staraptor flew towards me I ducked and rolled underneath it, delivering several quick-fire scratches to its claws. The shriek of pain that followed was so loud I almost felt like apologising. But then the bird shot a wing attack at me and all thoughts of friendliness vanished. This staraptor was obviously really strong and the voices in my head wouldn't be much good if it knocked me out before I could get a chance to attack it.

With that thought in mind, I continued my onslaught. Ducking under an aerial ace, I slid behind my opponent – who apparently was male – and used pursuit to knock him away. When that was done I turned slightly and unleashed the razor wind I had summoned earlier. Did I forget to tell you about that? Anyway, the whirlwind shot up towards the ceiling and struck some rocks which collapsed onto the staraptor and knocked it out. Just in time too as I was starting to get really tire-

And he/she's just released another pokémon.

"Damn it," I said, panting slightly, "it never ends!" This newcomer was blue and black and vaguely canine looking, standing on two feet.

"Beat him, riolu!" its trainer screamed, looking like he/she was going to explode. The riolu gave a short bow before leaping up and kicking me in the face.

And _damn_ did it hurt.

After that, the riolu subjected me to the even greater pain of force palm. The voices in my head exploded.

_MAKE HIM PAY!_ They screamed at me from inside my mind (a peculiar sensation). _He hurt them! hurt you! hurt us! hurt him back! _The riolu continued his onslaught of punching and kicking until a well-aimed hit sent me flying back into the wall.

Now so far I like to think that I've been a reasonably tolerant and mild-mannered pokémon. But in the last week or two I've woken up in a strange place with no knowledge of who I was, where I was or how I got there covered in blood. I've been beaten up more times than I can count. Just when I thought I had a friend I could trust, she turns out to be crazy (and not the good kind of crazy like me. The bad kind). I keep expecting to be mercilessly killed by anything that passes by. I seem to be allergic to physical contact. And of course, the voices in my head were driving. Me. Insane.

So now, I'd had enough.

My eyes narrowed and my paws clenched as my opponent approached. I examined every subtle movement of his body, waiting for him to make the first move. My mouth slowly opened to reveal a row of sharp teeth and a pair of razor-like fangs which I gently slid my tongue over. As my opponent raised his paw, I did the same but feinted at the last second and – using quick attack to get behind him – delivered a harsh kick with both my hind legs. The opponent flipped over to avoid hitting the rock I had kicked him towards but the whispers and I had anticipated this and countered it with a jump and a scratch. The opponent was visibly injured but still persevered. He perched on a nearby rock for a moment before jumping back into the battle.

But the whispers were ready for him.

My eyes momentarily turned grey as I called for a razor wind before I slammed into him and forced him backwards. By this time the whispers had almost completely overtaken my senses. They were all I could hear – giving me exact commands.

_Duck!_ I obeyed the voices. _Turn to the left!_ I obeyed the voices. _Jump up!_ I obeyed the voices.

_Now, finish him!_ I grinned at the prospect of watching my opponent fall. Just like the whispers commanded, I avoided all his attacks and slashed at him with the horn on my head. The enemy choked and gasped as I opened up a wound on his chest and knocked him over with pursuit. His shrieks and cries of pain were music to my ears. I pressed one paw on to his small body and pinned him to the ground as the voices spoke up again.

_Scratch him! _I obeyed the voices and scratched him again._ He hurt us-he must pay! Scratch him!_ I scratched him again._ Kill him! Slit his throat! Take his life! Kill him now! MAKE HIM PAY!_

I scratched him again, and again and again and again and-

Something suddenly crashed into me and knocked me over. I snarled furiously and looked up to see Alice on top of me. She slapped me hard. I glared at her in return.

"What the hell was that for?" I demanded. Alice simply pointed. Still livid, I glanced away-

and froze. The man-woman trainer clutched the riolu that I had fought in his arms.

And it was _not_ a pretty sight.

Drenched in its own blood and covered in bruises, the riolu looked awful. The only sign of life was the shallow, hoarse breaths it took. Its trainer was near tears as he-she clutched their pokémon close to their chest. The trainer glared at me and shouted at Sam.

"That evil monster should be put down!" I flinched at the horror, the anger, the sheer amount of hate he poured into that sentence. The trainer got to his feet and ran past us towards the other end of the tunnel. As he ran, I heard him talking to his riolu.

"It's going to be okay," he told it as he blinked back tears, "it's going to be fine." He was soon too far away to hear. As the whole group fell silent, I began to walk towards Sam. He flinched and backed away. I suddenly knew how horrible it felt for that to happen. I walked slower until I reached him and lightly tapped the pokéball on his belt with my horn. Sam nodded, seeming to understand and (mercifully) returned me in a flash of red.

I would never really figure out what happened that day, everyone was reluctant to mention it. But I gathered a few things later on. Alice was fighting with a wild pokémon when one of her stray attacks hit the old man's graveler. Cassie wouldn't apologise and the old man knocked around Alice to teach us a lesson. Midnight overreacted while trying to show off and regain her status as unquestionable leader of the group. It wasn't a great day for me.

As the light of the pokéball engulfed me, I found my thoughts drifting back to the merciless beating I had delivered to the riolu. I know that if Alice hadn't stopped me when she did, I would have killed him. But that wasn't even the worst part. Do you want to know the most horrible part of the fight?

I enjoyed every second of it.

* * *

_A/N: The books Sam was reading are used by permission of Thanos6 from his encyclopedia-style fanfic called A Beginner's Guide To Pokémon. _


	11. Visitation

_Beta-Reader: The Puppeteer's Ghost_

* * *

**Chapter 11: Visitation**

* * *

**Cassie**

We trudged through the long grass in near absolute silence having elected not to mention the incident with the veteran trainer a few hours ago. Atrum had remained in his pokéball since then and we had avoided all battles. Midnight had also been returned because of her injuries. Having no money until a couple of days ago, we hadn't had the chance to buy any sort of medicine or items; surviving on the presence of pokémon centres.

"Maybe we should talk about this," Sam commented. Camazotz fluttered overhead while Alice walked close to me and Tempest waddled after us, occasionally stopping to examine some rock or flower. I didn't even pause before replying.

"Why would we?"

"Atrum almost killed that trainer's riolu. If Alice hadn't-"

"Look, we'll be going back to Eterna soon. We'll get him checked out at the pokémon centre. Until then just keep him out of battles." Sam must have sensed something in my tone because he asked,

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I replied and hugged my jacket closer to me. "Just cold." I wasn't just cold. Eventually we reached the end of the tree line to see the city overlooking us. We all stopped and stared with our mouths hanging open. Jubilife City: the biggest city in Sinnoh and one of the largest in the world. I knew it was going to be big but I never expected this; this colossal sprawling metropolis. Sam and I glanced at each other briefly and continued on towards the heart of the city.

(-*-)

Since the city was so unbelievably gargantuan we got a bus in to the city centre. It didn't take long and when we got off I handed Sam a piece of paper I had in my pocket.

"Here," I said. He examined it for a moment and looked back at me.

"What's this?"

"That's a list of things we need."

"Why are you giving it to me?" I hesitated momentarily as I thought about how I was going to phrase this.

"You're going to have to go get them. I… have some things I need to do."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"No!" I snapped at him but looked away rapidly. "Sorry, I just… I want to do this alone." He seemed reluctant but finally agreed.

"Alright," he said, "call me if you need me. I nodded and walked away without saying another word, releasing Midnight, Alice and Camazotz as I turned the corner. Alice yelped and rushed over to me immediately. She clung on to my leg and nervously glanced around her. She was obviously intimidated by the city. Camazotz fluttered calmly above Midnight who paced back and forth – examining our surroundings for any danger. I cleared my throat and they all turned to me.

"We're going to visit someone," I told them, "someone I know. It won't be long and then we'll meet back up with Sam." Alice gazed up at me with wide eyes and I realised she understood. I smiled reassuringly down at her before walking off. My pokémon all followed.

(-#-)

**Tempest**

Jubilife City: the biggest city I had ever seen. Hearthome paled in comparison to the sight of the enormous buildings which towered overhead like mountains, dominating the skyline. They were all different shapes, sizes and colours too. I gazed around me as I strolled after Sam with each step I took on the hard concrete ground taking me further into the city. I closed my eyes and let the sounds envelop me. The noise of the traffic, the speech of the crowd – the streets were packed full of people - and pokémon of course.

Opening my eyes again, I glanced up at one of the tallest buildings where a giant screen showed flashing pictures of the crime-fighting duo of a shinx and an ursaring. The whole experience was all so overwhelming. Sam turned into a shop and walked inside and I followed him inside. That was another thing; the shops themselves. Shops and stalls were scattered all about the place filled with all manner of strange human artifacts – each one more baffling and curious than the last.

Sam shifted the backpack he carried and rooted around for the list Cassie had given him. Finally finding it, he looked around to try and find the next batch of items that were needed for our journey. We had gone from place to place gathering everything on the list and we had been forced to buy an extra backpack to carry it all. I was now carrying it on my back. It was a little awkward to move with it and Sam seemed reluctant but if I could do anything to help then I would. Sam scoured the shelves and picked out hand fulls of items – none of which I recognised. Sam carried them over to the front desk and waited behind a few other people in line.

"Do we really need all this?" Sam wondered aloud as he lugged two tents over to the counter. I spied a toxicroak standing stoicly nearby. I beamed at her.

"Hello, old girl," I said cheerfully, "are you waiting for your trainer?" The toxicroak slowly angled her head and stared at me – her eyes glinting in the neon-esqe light of the pokémon mart. The steady rise and fall of her blood red throat-sac coincided with her breathing and the stench of poison was overpowering. Her gaze was intense and ever so slightly unnerving and I was thankful when she finally spoke.

"Yes," she said in a deadpan tone. "I am." The door opened and a human man walked inside. He didn't say anything and left after a few more seconds with the toxicroak instantly following. Sam called me before I could consider what had happened.

"Come on, Tempest," he said to me, "let's go."

"Alright, dear boy," I replied, "lead on." I approached the door which opened of its own accord. Sam wandered out still clutching everything he had bought in the last few hours. We carried the whole thing for a while before Sam came to a stop at a bench and set everything down whilst trying to stuff it all into the two backpacks he had purchased. While he was doing that, I looked around to see where we were. We were at the very edge of the city and the buildings had met the country side. Trees were scattered around and the sea could be viewed in the far distance. A light breeze blew across and rustled the branches of the trees, blowing the leaves around in circles. A flock of wingull could be seen chirping overhead being led by a couple of pelipper. Apart from that there wasn't that much wild pokémon this close to the big city but even so, the whole thing was so charmingly natural. Even Sam seemed to enjoy the scenery – taking a breath of fresh air as he gazed around with a smile. I felt a thump and looked down to see someone had walked into me.

"Sorry," they said. I beamed down at her and raised my paw to shake her hand – a habit I picked up a few years ago when a group of humans came to study the slowpoke family I belonged to. Then I realised the new arrival didn't have a hand. She was very small and green with short, stubby feet and a yellow face. I had never met one of their species before but I still recognised her: it was a budew.

"Perfectly alright, dear girl," I told the budew whose face contorted with irritation.

"I'm not female," he said.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," I replied apologetically, "it can be hard to tell among some pokémon." The budew opened his mouth to say something else but apparently thought otherwise and shook his head with a sigh.

"My name is Tempest and that's my trainer, Sam."

"You mean the guy who's trying to stuff two tents into a backpack." Glancing over briefly I saw that was true. And it was so far unsuccessful.

"So why are you this close to the city?" I asked him. He frowned and looked around.

"The city? Crap! I thought I was heading towards Eterna Forest."

"Why were you going there?"

"When budew get old enough they leave the group. I basically got kicked out."

"So where do you plan on going now?" He shrugged as best he could having no shoulders.

"I haven't really thought about it."

"Well, why don't you come with us. I'm sure you would be a marvelous addition to the group." The budew chuckled.

"I really don't think that's-" Suddenly he was swallowed up by a beam of red light. I stared at the spot where he had been for a few moments before glancing over at Sam. He was grinning and clutching a pokéball triumphantly.

"Oh dear," I muttered and watched Sam as he mused over what name to call our new team-mate.

"Thorn… no, that's not great… petal? …no I don't like that either. Rose?" He glanced down at me. "Too obvious?"

"Just a tad."

"Yeah, you're right." He looked back at the pokéball and smiled. "My new budew's name is Rose." I gave a sigh.

"You really are quite bad at this, you know."

"Thanks, Tempest. It means a lot to me that you support me."

"That budew will not be pleased when he gets out." Sam stuffed the pokéball into his pocket and paused. He took his hand out holding a different pokéball. His gaze shifted from the object in his hands to me and then back again.

"I should really let him out," he muttered, "shouldn't I?" I didn't reply and Sam raised the pokéball, pressing a button in the centre to release the pokémon that lay within. There was a flash of red and Atrum appeared on the ground by Sam's feet – curled up with his eyes closed. He gave a yawn and his eyes fluttered open as he glanced around. Both Sam and I stood back warily and watched as he stood up, took a step forward and promptly fell over and landed on his face. We both laughed and the tension vanished as Atrum's misdemeanours were forgotten. Sam stifled his laughter and looked at us both before walking off.

"Come on," he said, "we're supposed to meet Cassie in the GTS in half an hour. I don't want to be late." He sighed and glanced at his watch. "I hope she's okay. She seemed…" He shook his head. "I'm probably just imagining it and she's gone shoe shopping or something."

(-#-)

**Cassie**

We waited in the hospital lounge in silence, sitting on a cold metal bench. Alice cuddled up to me while Midnight sat by my feet and Camazotz rested on my shoulder. I watched the occasional nurse or doctor pass by, each heading to a different hospital ward. The signs above the doorways signalled a department: radiology, ICU, maternity ward. The people who passed by smiled at me but the expressions all seemed hollow to me. Various colourful pictures adorned the walls in a futile attempt to bring a little optimism to the place. You'll forgive me if I sound bitter and depressed. I am.

The nurse I had spoken to earlier finally returned accompanied by a noctowl.

"You can go in now," she said. I nodded but didn't say anything. I didn't feel much like talking. I got up slowly for Alice's benefit and we all followed the nurse and her pokémon. We walked through the hallways lined with hand sanitisers and a monotone voice asking if we had washed our hands. All the while, I remained silent. Eventually, we reached a door marked 1729.

"Are you going to be okay?" the nurse asked me to which I nodded. "Then I'll leave you to talk." I waited until she left before raising my hand. I stood there unmoving – not able to bring my hand any closer to the door. I suddenly felt something and looked down to see Alice had grabbed my hand. I smiled at her and took a deep breath before pushing open the door and walking inside.

There was only one bed in the room – the benefits of having a private room. There was a single chair by the bed but I didn't sit down. A woman lay motionless in the bed with her eyes closed – just the same as she had been for almost a year. There was a few monitors and other medical equipment scattered around but I ignored them and focused on the woman. The chart on the end of her bed had her name on it: Sally Gunn. I stared at her for a while before I cleared my throat and spoke at last.

"Hi, mom," I said. She was pale and thin with sunken eyes. Her once short black hair had now grown longer and messier – obscuring part of her face. On an impulse I brushed it away, just like she used to do for me. When that was done I sat down in the chair while Alice jumped on to my lap and clasped her former owner' hand tightly.

"I'm a trainer now; just like you always wanted," I told her. She lay there unmoving and lifeless but talking to her was more for my benefit than it was for hers. "I beat the first gym and got three p-pokémon. Y-you know Alice a-and Midnight, but I also caught a zubat." I blinked back tears as my hands began to tremble. This was exactly the reason I had stayed quiet all this time: I was afraid I'd just end up bawling. "I-I mean I know… I know they're r-really c-common but…" My voice began to choke as tears flowed from my eyes. I shook my head and cleared my throat again in a futile attempt to remain detached. I grabbed my mother's hand and squeezed it tight wishing, praying that she could squeeze my hand back. That she could open her eyes and tell me everything would be okay.

"I miss you, mom," I managed to say amidst choking and crying. But that was all I managed to say before I broke down sobbing on top my mother's motionless body.

(-#-)

**Atrum**

You probably don't know this but Jubilife City is really, really, really… big… and stuff. Okay maybe that's not the best description but it's not like anyone else could describe it better. Anyway, me, Sam and Tempest journeyed valiantly through the sprawling metropolis towards the big place with the initials where we were meeting Cassie. The GST or something along those lines. Tempest and I talked on the way and we were getting along quite well. After I laid down the ground rules of course; mainly that he must always stay at least half a meter away from me at all times and never try to shake my hand _EVER _again. As it turned out Tempest used to be part of a colony of slowpoke somewhere in the faraway land of Jotho. His previous trainer, Rochelle, captured him to use in contests but apparently he wasn't that good.

"No one was very friendly there," he told me, "they wouldn't talk to me during the contest at all. But I maintained my politeness." As I would gather later, Tempest was so "polite" that he insisted the other competitors go first every time and on the rare occasion he won a ribbon he wouldn't take it: instead sharing it with the other pokémon involved deeming that to be "only fair".

Our conversation continued until we reached the mighty global terminal of Jubilfe City. It was one of the largest buildings in the city; made of glass with a metal framework and covered with lights. It seemed so vibrant and colourful against the rest of the city. Entering through the doorway, all three of us stopped in awe. The interior was so futuristic looking. There were enormous computers located sporadically throughout the area – most of them occupied by human trainers. There were even teleporters to the other floors. Tempest had briefly explained the concept of "trading" to me earlier so I sort of knew what was going on. I spied a nearby trainer with a blue spiky sea horse pokémon. She handed it a thick blue scale and smiled before walking away with it.

"What was that about?" I asked Tempest.

"That young trainer was giving her seadra a dragon scale. When he is traded he will evolve into a mighty kingdra."

"Evolve?" I immediately knew from Tempest's expression that I had said something I shouldn't have.

"Why, yes dear Atrum. Evolution is where one pokémon becomes more powerful and changes its form into another pokémon. You are not aware of this?"

"Should I be?"

"Why, Atrum, all pokémon are aware of evolution. You seem to be quite uninformed about the pokémon world." Damn it, he's on to me! Quick, think of something! Maybe I'm secretly a human who died and was reborn as a pokémon by the will of the legendaries thus explaining my lack of knowledge about the pokémon world. Wait, no, that's ridiculous. Think of something better!

"Well, um, I was, I was… raised by a trainer… Yeah that's it. He hatched me from an egg… But then he released me… or something…"

"Really? Why, how sad. What was his name?" I froze.

"His what?"

"His name." His name? Crap! I did not think this through.

"His name was, uh… it was…" Tempest frowned, apparently not believing my masterful deception.

"Can't you remember his n-"

"Jesse!" I spat out. "Jesse… Filligan." Jesse Filligan… now why does that sound familiar…? My thoughts were interrupted by Sam's voice.

"She's late," he muttered as he continued to pace back and forth and back and forth and back and… now I suddenly feel dizzy. I started to sway and almost fell over but Tempest intervened.

"Are you alright?" he asked. I shook my head before answering but that just made my sudden headache worse.

"I'm fine. What did I miss?" Not much as it turned out. Sam was still worried about Cassie.

"There's something wrong, I know it." Personally, I thought he was overreacting and couldn't understand why although Tempest seemed to comprehend and muttered something about "young love". I made a mental note to ask him about it later. My nose suddenly began to itch and I angled my head to scratch it with my paw. That had no affect whatsoever. Actually, it wasn't really an itch… I don't know what to call it but it was annoying. It was sort of like an overpowering scent that I couldn't dispel. I wrinkled my nose and rubbed it against the ground but, once again, there was no change.

"I say," Tempest began, "are you alright?" I felt compelled to go… somewhere. With that in mind (and not much else) I started to walk away. I heard Sam call my name and run after me.

"Where are you going?" he yelled.

"No idea," I replied, "but I'm sure I'll find out soon."

I hope.

(-#-)

The toxicroak was silent as it waited in the shadows of the alley. As a fighting pokémon she was well trained and had no problem remaining so still she could be mistaken for a statue. She focused on the sight before her – all other thoughts had been banished. Even about her trainer who had sent her here. Her keen eyes spotted movement and she adjusted her vision to see a troupe of people cross the street and move towards the nearest building.

The global trade centre was soon surrounded by these humans. They wore the uniform of the Sinnoh pokémon league but they were not part of it. They were something else. The toxicroak watched them heard everyone out of the building using some excuse. The others listened and the mysterious group moved in without opposition. The toxicroak narrowed her eyes, knowing her trainer's worst fears had been realised.

_They_ were back.

(-#-)

**Cassie**

I don't know how long I was like that. You just don't think about time in a situation like this. I just kept crying with my head buried in my mother's chest. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked back to see Sam. My hair was a mess, what little make up I had was ruined and he had just seen me crying about my mom. I should have been angry to see him here. After all, I told him not to follow me and he did anyway.

But I felt relieved. After gulping and wiping away my tears with the back of my hand, I smiled at him and put my hand on top of his. I tried to explain but couldn't so eventually I just choked out a simple "thank you". It sufficed and he smiled back.

(-*-)

I stayed there until visitor's hours had ended and Sam stayed with me. After that we just sat on the steps outside the hospital. Our pokémon all gathered around each other talking. I sometimes wish I could understand them. After a few minutes of silence, I finally spoke.

"Wobbuffet," I muttered. Sam looked at me strangely.

"What?"

"You asked me earlier if I was scared of any pokémon. I'm absolutely terrified of wobbuffet." He sat there for a moment before he burst out laughing.

"You're scared of wobbuffet?" I scowled at him though I wasn't really angry.

"Hey those things are freaky as hell!" Sam covered his mouth and desperately tried to stop laughing.

"You're right, I'm sorry." He took several deep breaths and finally ceased his laughter. I waited for a few seconds before speaking again.

"So we should probably-" Sam interrupted me again by bursting out laughing. I hit him lightly on the arm but couldn't help smiling as I did so.

"Stop it!" He finally stopped laughing and we drifted off into silence. But it was different this time. It was a comfortable silence between two friends. Then I decided to tell him. I've got trust issues and don't open up to people much so I wasn't sure how to begin. In the end I decided to just blurt it out.

"My dad was an alcoholic," I said and immediately realised I could have phrased that better. Sam looked into my eyes but didn't say anything. "He used to beat up me and my mom – and Alice." I tried to be dismissive and act like it didn't bother me that much but I think he saw through my façade. "One day he knocked her around a little too hard and… My mom's been in a coma ever since and my dad's in prison." I paused to take a deep breath before continuing. "My mom was moved to a state of the art hospital in Sinnoh but she hasn't recovered yet. It's the reason I came to this region in the first place." Sam looked like he was about to say something but apparently thought better of it. Knowing I've made him uncomfortable, I broke the silence again.

"So how did you know where I was?" I asked.

"That was all Atrum. He just led us to you. I don't know how." Neither did I for that matter. I glanced down at Atrum and saw him next to Alice. I couldn't help being unnerved. Everything about that absol was strange from how he appeared to his battle style – even the way he moved. Now I'm no expert but the one thing I do know is dark pokémon. They were always my favourite even when I was a little girl. A lot of people have seen an absol at some point but few have caught one so the information about them is limited. Even so, they were one of my favourite pokémon so I learned everything I could about them and when Professor Birch brought one back to his lab for research purposes one time, I spent every day there.

I remember its silent, regal character. Its poise and precision and intelligence. It was powerful and always in control.

Atrum wasn't like that at all. Mostly he just fell over a lot. He even seemed to walk like the other pokémon – mimicking their movements. And then there was the way he was like in battle. He was unstoppable. And that's not even mentioning the incident with the riolu. None of it made any sense. Atrum realised I was watching and looked me in the eye. I had no idea what it was but I knew there was something about that absol I didn't like. Still, he was Sam's starter and I wasn't going to say anything. But that doesn't mean I trust him. Far from it.

I would be watching his every move.

(-#-)

**Atrum**

With the group reunited again, Sam and Cassie sat on the steps of the building. Cassie was examining me for a moment but eventually turned away. And not a moment too soon either. I shivered – hating when things look at me for too long. That and when people touch me. And when my head starts pounding for no apparent reason. Like what was going on now. Sam stopped suddenly.

"I almost forgot," he said, reaching into his pocket, "I caught another pokémon." This caught everyone's attention. Everyone except Tempest that is, who just lifted his head.

"Oh, yes, I had forgotten." Sam extended the red and white sphere and we all leaned forward in anticipation. What would the pokémon be? Perhaps a fearsome garchomp, or a powerful luxray or a suitably-terrifying-adjective quagsire. In the end I was a little disappointed to find a minuscule green teardrop-shaped pokémon that I'm pretty sure I stepped on a few times on my here.

"This is Rose, everyone," Sam exclaimed. Cassie shot him a glance.

"Rose? That's the best you could come up with?"

"What's wrong with Rose?"

"What's wrong with it? That's it, from now on I'm naming all your pokémon." I didn't hear the rest of their conversation although I'm sure it was amusing and involved Cassie berating Sam. But I repeat myself. Midnight walked over with a friendly smile and opened her mouth to introduce herself. Before she could, however, someone else beat her to it.

"Hi, Rose," I said with the closest I could get to an affable smile. "I'm Atrum." I introduced the others but excluded Midnight. I then gave a brief summary of what had happened so far. "And don't worry: you won't be the only female in the group because Alice is-"

"I'm not female."

"…really?" In my defense it was very hard to tell. Anyway, before I could say anything even more incriminating and thus damn myself to a merciless beating to a _male_ green flower without limbs, Midnight dragged me away. Rose asked where we were going but Midnight growled at him and he fell silent. Midnight dragged me away by my ears behind a nearby corner and into an empty alley. She pushed me against the wall and snarled furiously at me which certainly didn't help the pain in my head.

"What are you doing?" she demanded while glaring at me. I stood up and narrowed my eyes as I steadily returned her gaze. I was a little annoyed by her antics and, you know, the fact that she was crazy! I blinked a few times as I suddenly got a ringing in my ears. Shaking my head, I continued talking.

"If you want a competition to see who gets to lead the group then fine. You've got it. But get ready because I'm not going to give up without a fight." I suppose I was just being antagonistic for the sake of it but Midnight really annoyed me and I was warming to the whole idea of leadership. Midnight growled.

"I don't think-to know about your-tell them." I frowned as the ringing in my ears rose to such volume that I could scarcely hear. Blackouts happened for seconds and I missed portions of Midnight's speech.

"What did you say?" I asked her. Midnight frowned and her mouth moved but I heard nothing. I opened my mouth to answer and-

images flashed before my eyes as my head filled with sounds; white noise at first but then specific sounds. Screams and gunshots, screams and gunshots. The whispers spoke up but they were louder this time. And they had more substance – almost like a real being.

"I bet you're real confused about this, Atrum," they said to me. The whispers and the voices merged and it suddenly occurred to me that they sounded exactly the same. It had a peculiar resonating effect as if numerous different pokémon were all speaking at once. Meanwhile the images continued to flash before me. A toxicroak and her trainer, a small town in flames, the looming figure of an alakazam. The images picked up speed and became less focused. I vaugely distinguished the image of Cedric along with what seemed like some sort of temple surrounded by people in black with a red symbol on their chest. One picture kept appearing though: Mount Coronet.

The images became increasingly darker and explosions and death filled my vision. One of the few I was able to make out was Sam lying in the snow in the middle of a blizzard. He wasn't moving and there was a bloody gash along his forehead. After that the pictures moved too rapidly for me to see. They became erratic and shifted back and forth chaotically as some I recognised from earlier appeared again. It became harder to see them – like there was bad picture quality – and the sound started to get… glitchy. Pixels of black invaded my vision until eventually it was pitch dark. It was a thoroughly unnerving experience.

And then as soon as it began, my vision disappeared and I was back in the real world. Midnight was staring at me and she looked concerned.

"Are you alright?" she asked. I blinked.

"I know, Atrum," I said, "because that's how I planned it." We both fell silent for a moment before Midnight looked at me strangely and spoke up again.

"What?" I looked her straight in the eye.

"I don't know." That was the last thing I said before it all went dark. I hit the ground – falling unconscious again.

That happens to me a lot.


	12. Incursion

_Beta-Reader: The Puppeteer's Ghost_

* * *

**Chapter 12: Incursion**

* * *

**Midnight**

"_Where have you been?"_

"_Nowhere."_

"_Don't lie to me, pup! You were with that human, weren't you!"_

"_Her name is Cassie."_

"Atrum?"

"_I don't care what her name is! You're spending more time with her than you are with your pack. Maybe you should reconsider where your loyalties lie."_

"Atrum."

"_Maybe I should…"_

"Atrum! Atrum, wake up!" I shook the fallen absol frantically as I tried to get him to wake. After suddenly spouting nonsense he had collapsed and was unresponsive. "Damn it, wake up!" Atrum's eyes began to twitch and he kicked out lightly. Then he gave a shudder and opened his eyes.

"Hi there," he said to me. I just blinked – slightly amazed at the calmness he portrayed as if nothing had happened.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"Um…sure," he said, "I mean, yeah, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be? There's no reason I wouldn't be fine. The only reason I wouldn't be fine is if something happened and nothing happened so I'm fine." Atrum was just babbling now and I was beginning to get suspicious.

"If nothing happened then why did you collapse?"

"Oh, right, um… I was… really tired." He kept hesitating and avoiding my gaze. I'm good at reading others but even so, it didn't exactly take a psychic to tell he was lying. I growled deeply and flattened my body like I always do before a fight. He obviously recognised the warning and backed away.

"Stop lying to me!" I snarled.

"I'm not lying," Atrum protested and attempted a menacing growl as he copied my own body stance. This surprised me and I couldn't help but lose concentration as I stared at an absol trying to imitate a mightyena. It was a little strange.

"There you are," someone exclaimed. Atrum and I both turned to see Cassie looking down at us. "Come on. It's time to go." I shot Atrum an angry stare and followed my trainer out of the alley to meet up with the others. As usual I took my place at the front of the group and growled at anyone I didn't like the look of. I was in a bad mood lately so that was a lot of people. Hearing talking and laughing, I looked back to see the other pokémon all crowded around Atrum. I scowled and turned away.

Just who did he think was? _I'm_ the leader of this group. Apart from Cassie of course. But she couldn't be there all the time so I took over her responsibility when she couldn't do things herself. We kept each other in line. And I kept everyone else in line. It's a good system: it worked. But now that damned absol was ruining it.

He defeated me in battle! That hasn't happened to me since I was a poochyena! It shouldn't have happened. I mean I've seen Atrum battle and he was awful. And his loss of memory is no exuse because he can still use attacks so he must never have been skilled. And then suddenly he's a master!

And yes, I am aware of the irony surounding the fact that I was the one who actually wanted to help him improve. I just never thought he would magically become better than everyone. And by everyone I mean me. None of this made any sense. Absol can be incredibly powerful but not Atrum and not like that. I heard stories of humans making deals with devils; offering their souls in exchange for power. I never really believed in that sort of thing but maybe…

And before anyone accuses me of obssessing over this (which I'm _not_ doing) it's my responsibility as a leader to protect the whole group. It just might be Atrum that I'm protecting them against. And if, by total coincidence, during my protecting of the group that I feel Atrum is a threat that needs to be eliminated then maybe I-

"Ah, hell!" Sam yelled out and interrupted my thoughts. I jumped and panicked slightly as I glanced around the area to make sure nothing was wrong. I scowlded myself for losing concentration. I should always be alert but I was just so preoccupied with Atrum and the threat he posed. Even when he wasn't actively doing anything to me he could still annoy me.

"What is it?" Cassie asked. We had stopped at this stage.

"I left the bags back at the global terminal," Sam explained. Cassie looked like she was struggling against the urge to yell at someone.

"Well… we'll have to stop by there and get them. We're on a tight schedule though, so we'll have to hurry."

"You have us on a schedule?" Sam asked incredulously. Personally, I wasn't surprised. I've only had Cassie as my trainer for about a month but I've known her almost all my life.

A few weeks after I was born I got into a fight with a zigzagoon. He was a notorious bully and was beating up another poochyena that was even younger than I was. I rescued him and then Cassie rescued me. I've always had a lot of respect for my trainer and that's when it started. She was only about four years old at the time but she still had the courage to chase off an angry pokémon and take me home to nurse me back to health.

I heard someone comment that we had arrived and glanced up to see the global terminal. I took note of the general shape of the building and any exits in case of an emergency. I also noticed that while there was a huge crowd around it, everyone was outside. The doors were all shut and there were people standing guard. The noisy crowd pressed in all around us and I growled to make them back off. I was in no mood to be friendly right now and they were in my trainer's way.

"What's going on?" I heard Sam ask another trainer standing around like the rest of them.

"These guys just waltzed in and closed down the whole terminal." Cassie looked at the other person.

"They what?"

"They're from the pokémon league."

"I don't care where they're from. We need to be in Floroama Town in less than two days and we need to leave before this afternoon." She scowled and glanced down at me. "Come on, Midnight. Let's go see what's wrong." Anything that got Cassie annoyed got me annoyed. And I was already annoyed as it was. So I tagged along after her and waited for the inevitable rant from my trainer to whoever was guarding the doors. Two humans – a man and a woman – stood at each end of the massive front door each with a purugly. Cassie approached the man.

"Why aren't we allowed in?" Cassie asked him.

"League business," he answered. I stared at the purugly and he stared back at me. I hate cats. I really do. All mightyena do. But I was at least going to try and be polite. With that in mind, I forced a smile at the nearest feline.

"So," I began, "what are-"

"Fuck off, bitch," the mangy thing replied (if with a certain degree of fact). I uttered a low growl and he screeched loudly in response.

Goddamn cats.

"I just need to go inside for one minute," I heard Cassie argue as I turned my attention back to her and the man. "You can even escort me in if that makes you feel any better."

"I'm sorry but I can't let you do that."

"Why? What could I possibly do in the time it takes for me to walk inside the building, grab a couple of bags in the lobby and leave? What damage could I possibly do? You people are doing much more so if there was any actual danger then you wouldn't be in there at all!"

"Well I-"

"I'm not finished!" I sighed, knowing this could go on for a while.

(-#-)

**Alice**

When Cassie stormed off to confront the people guarding the door, Sam sat down at the edge of a fountain. Midnight had gone off with Cassie so we were all left with him. He sighed deeply and looked down at all us all. He was still convinced Rose was female (to his intense irritation) and we had no way to tell him otherwise. He seemed pretty okay though I hadn't talked to him obviously. I noticed Atrum break off from the rest of the group and walk towards me wearing a nervous smile. I smiled back even more nervously.

Atrum and I were becoming close – maybe even friends. I don't really have a lot if experience in that particular area. There wasn't much pokémon to interact with when I lived in Hoenn with Sally and Cassie. My first real friend was Midnight who had been distant and antagonistic ever since she lost to Atrum. I really needed someone right now and Atrum fit that role well. Especially seeing as he was just as unsure of himself as I was. I couldn't work it out though. I always heard that absol live in tight communities so presumably he would have had lots of friends growing up. I didn't know how old he was but… Come to think of it I didn't know anything about him.

I know I haven't been very open either but…well…friends should know these things about each other. I decided to ask him. Atrum sat down next to me and sighed. I gulped and paused as I gathered up the courage to speak.

"Atrum?"

"Yes?"

"Are we friends?" He seemed confused by the question – tilting his head and furrowing his brow.

"Um… yes? Maybe… Is this a trick question?"

"No."

"Okay then… yes, I suppose." I beamed at him and he paused for a moment before talking again.

"What happens now? Do I have to do anything else?"

"…no."

"Great! What do you think of Rose?"

"Why?"

"It might just be my raging paranoia but I cant help but feel he's some kind of evil spy working to lead us into oblivion and destroy us all."

"He seems nice."

"Oh, okay then. I just wanted… to…" Atrum trailed off as he stared past my shoulder with wide eyes filled with terror. Fearing what I might see I slowly turned my head around to see what had filled my friend with so much dread. Staring down at us was a humanoid yellow-gold pokémon with a long moustache and carrying two spoons: an akazazam. He glared down at us with disdain and I slinked away behind Atrum with a whimper, suddenly wishing Midnight were here. Atrum was still frozen with terror and I heard him mutter something.

"Just like in the vision…" he whispered, seemingly to himself, before speaking to me. "What's that?"

"That's an alakazam," I told him, a little surprised he hadn't heard about one of the most powerful and well-known psychics in the world. The alakazam made a sound halfway between a grunt and a groan. Atrum and I just gave a whimper in response, quivering and wishing the scary psychic would leave. There's always been animosity between dark and psychic pokémon – it's pretty much known and accepted that if you're a dark pokémon you're going to be the target of psychic hatred. Some say the psychics are the ones responsible for human's distrust of darkness – that they turned them against us. I didn't really believe it but seeing the look of hatred in the eyes of some psychics occasionally made me stop…

"Hey, come here!" a voice called out. The alakazam sneered at us before moving off. I let out a sigh of relief and Atrum started breathing again. The alakazam walked – or hovered really – over to a nearby boy. He looked to be around Sam's age, maybe a little younger, but looked very different. With messy black hair sticking up in all different places and skin not so pale as Sam but not as tanned as Cassie. He was slightly overweight and wore a dopey yet friendly smile as his alakazam stood beside him menacingly. I noticed the rest of the group glance up at them too.

"Hi there," Sam said. The boy didn't reply, but kept staring ahead and grinning. Sam frowned and spoke again. "Hello?" The boy remained silent for another minute or so. Atrum and I looked at each other. The boy suddenly shook his head and blinked a few times while looking around him.

"Sorry I zoned out there," he finally said, turning to Sam. "I was thinking about pancakes. What were we saying?"

"We weren't saying anything. We haven't even met."

"Of course we have. I'm Finn Lynch and you're name's Johnny-"

"It's Sam, actually. Sam Jacobs."

"I know that, Sam. I remember because it rhymes with cloud." The trainer, Finn, sat down next to Sam on the edge of the fountain. Sam frowned and looked at him.

"No it doesn't."

"Well, this human seems really smart," Rose muttered sarcastically. I edged closer to Atrum when Camazotz and Tempest wandered over.

"I must concur, my dear Rose," Tempest said without a hint of sarcasm whatsoever. "He strikes me as being extraordinarily intuitive and intelligent."

"I think I like that guy, man," said Camazotz.

"What's with the alakazam?" Rose asked. "I get the feeling it wants to murder us."

"I get that feeling all the time," Atrum told him, trying to be reassuring and failing. "You get used to it." Rose just shot him a cautious glance with a confused expression. Camazotz chuckled and I held my paw over my mouth to stop myself from laughing. The other four launched back into conversation and I looked over to Sam and the other boy who he was now talking to.

"So, are you a trainer?" Sam asked him. Finn seemed to consider this for a moment before searching his pockets. He retrieved some pokéballs and looked back at Sam.

"I guess so," he replied and started to examine his reflection in the water. Sam stared at him, incredulous, but shook his head and spoke again.

"So, how long have you-"

"Ooh, you can see the ripples in the water. Awesome!"

"…been a trainer?" Finn gazed up and blinked.

"I dunno. A few weeks? Or maybe it was months…" He glanced over at his alakazam whose eyes narrowed. Finn looked back at Sam. "One hundred and eight days, twenty three hours and forty two minutes." Sam looked surprised but I knew what happened. The alakazam had told him using telepathy. Most psychics can communicate with their trainer in that way and some other pokémon can too.

"This is my pokémon, by the way," he said as he pointed to his alakazam.

"Is he your starter?"

"Nope. My starter is a… I can't remember. Oh well. What about you? Are all these yours?"

"No, some of them belong to the girl I'm traveling with. Anyway, these are my pokémon. The absol is my starter, Atrum, and the slowpoke is called Tempest." He reached down and picked up Rose. "This is the newest addition: Rose."

"Hey, put me down!" Rose cried before Finn spoke again.

"Oh, that's cool. I love how you're not pandering to stereotypes by giving your budew a feminine name." Sam seemed confused.

"What do you mean?"

"He's not female." Sam frowned and stared down at Rose.

"What? How can you tell?" Finn shrugged his shoulders.

"I dunno. Just do. I'm hungry so I'm gonna go now. I think I want some pankakes." With that, Finn walked off without another word and his alakazam trailed after him with one last glare at me and Atrum. Sam watched him leave, still looking baffled at the whole encounter.

"That just may have been the strangest person I have ever met," he muttered and looked down at Rose. "Are you really male?"

"Yes! Now put me down, this is degrading!" Sam and I turned in unsion when we heard Cassie's cries and Rose took the opportunity to jump back down.

I knew things didn't go well when Cassie was dragged back to us by security. She was attracting stares and still continued to argue.

"This is assault, you know!" Cassie cried. "It is my legal right to retrieve my belongings! I'll sue you! My mother's a lawyer!" The security guard deposited her on the ground next to me and walked off without saying a word.

"Your mother's not a lawyer, is she?" Sam asked as he grabbed her hand and helped her to her feet.

"They don't know that," she replied. I suddenly noticed that everyone had gone quiet and was staring at us. Sam smiled sheepishly and Cassie led him away from the crowd with the rest of us quickly following.

"Where are we going now?" Sam asked as Cassie walked off towards the other end of the building.

"There's got to be another way inside."

"You can't be serious."

"It's a public building and they're preventing me from entering without giving me a valid reason. That's against the law and I have a right to get my belongings." I don't think Sam heard her mutter "I think". I did and it wasn't very reassuring.

"They probably won't be long. Why don't we just wait until they're finished?"

"That could takes hours or even days! I will not have these idiots interfere with my schedule!" Sam stopped in his tracks and stared at her.

"You have a schedule?"

"Well, it's not written down, but yeah." It was, actually. She edits it every night – allowing for battles and other things. "I'm meticulous."

"I was thinking more along the lines of obssesed."

"Hey, just because I plan things…" Cassie trailed off and frowned as she looked past Sam's shoulder. Sam noticed she wasn't paying attention and looked around to see Atrum sniffing around by the back of the building.

"What are you doing?" I asked him to which he only scratched at his nose in reply. He presssed his head against the ground and kicked away a few garbage cans and other items that were strewn around. He started scratching at the ground. Sam opened his mouth to say something but Cassie spoke before he could.

"I think he's found something," she muttered and ran over to where he was. She started feeling along the ground with her hands along with Atrum. Sam stared at the two of them but soon shook his head and walked over to see what they were doing.

"I say," Tempest said aloud, startling me a little. "I wonder what they're doing."

"You mean besides rooting around in garbage?" Rose asked.

"Technically, man, they're beside the garbage," Camazotz said. I didn't hear the rest of the conversation. Eventually, Cassie stumbled on something. A metal door in the ground beside the outer wall.

It seemed out of place – looking quite old compared to the rest of the building. I didn't know much about human architecture but at least I recognised that. Sam. Cassie stood up and examined the old, rusty metal hatch.

"It looks like the entrance to a cellar," Sam commented as Cassie bent down again and gripped the side with both her hands as she started to pry it open. Midnight immediately rushed to her aid and helped prise open the door with her claws and teeth. Atrum, Camazotz and I yowled at the intensity of the screech of metal. If it bothered Midnight she didn't show it but I didn't really expect her to. Rose and Tempest didn't have as good hearing as we did so it probably didn't affect them.

"Sorry guys," Cassie muttered apologetically. She peered iniside to reveal a darkened stairway leading down underground.

"It looks like it leads beneath the terminal," Cassie said. Everyone turned to stare at Atrum. For his part, Atrum tripped over what appeared to be thin air. Cassie tested the stairway with one foot.

"You're not really going down there, are you?" Sam asked her.

"Why not?"

"You want to break into a building just to get our bags!"

"I don't see how this is different to sneaking into the contest hall in Hearthome."

"That was an accident! You're willfully breaking into a government building!"

"Hey, I'm not asking you to come!"

"I don't plan on coming! But then again I'm not insane!" They were shouting at each other now – both furious. I heard the running commentary of the others again.

"Wow, they're really going at it," Rose said.

"Indeed they are, old chap and I doubt just because of the dilemma they are faced with."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, man. There's so much sexual tension in this scene you could cut it with a knife." Atrum wandered over to me and we both watched the argument grow even louder.

"You're just mad you won't have any girls to flirt with and trick into giving you a new pokémon!"

"You know what: just go!" Sam yelled. "But don't expect me to be here when you get back out! I'm sick of you pretending everything I do is wrong and I'm to blame for everything!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine! Come on, guys. We're leaving." I saw Camazotz's ears droop as he looked sadly at Tempest and Rose.

"Well, man, it was great while it lasted," he muttered before flying over to take his place beside Cassie and Midnight. "Hasta la vista." I glanced at Atrum, panicked and held him tightly. I felt him tense and almost flinch away but stopped. His thick, white mane was soft and furry; it almost tickled. Cassie glared at me.

"Alice! Now!" I shook my head and clung even tighter on to Atrum.

"Uh, Alice…" Atrum mutered, sounding extremely uncomfortable.

"I don't want to go," I told him.

"It's okay, Alice," he said reassuringly, "you should go; Cassie needs you. And we'll see each other again." I gazed up at him.

"You really mean that?"

"I dunno, maybe. Could you _please_ let go of me?" I reluctantly let go of Atrum and walked over to Cassie with my head low. Camazotz flew over and wrapped his wing around me in comfort while Midnight stood by Cassie's side. We started to descend the stone steps in silence and the darkness enveloped us when I heard Cassie close the door behind her in a deafening crash.

(-#-)

Cassie closed the door behind her with a deafening crash, causing Atrum to screech and wince from the sound of the impact. Sam gazed at the hatch for a few minutes before sighing.

"Hey!" yelled a voice. Sam, Rose and Atrum all turned to see who had spoken. A few seconds later, Tempest inclined his head as well. Two men had arrived in the alley wearing the same pokémon league uniform as the guards had been wearing.

"Get out of here!" one of them shouted. Sam lowered his head and nodded.

"Come on," he muttered to his pokémon who followed him as they all left – looking dejected. One man, older, in his forties, watched them leave with a glare and glanced over to see an old rusty hatch. He swore and turned to his colleague who was younger and sported a ponytail.

"I thought we covered all the entrances," he muttered and grabbed a radio off his belt. "Commander? We may have a breach in the perimeter." Angry shouting emerged from the radio. "There was an old entrance we didn't know about. It looks like it's from the original building." The shouting subsided slightly though the anger in the woman's voice was still evident. His teeth were gritted and he tapped his foot impatiently. It was clear he didn't like listening to this. "Yes, of course. I… Yes, commander." He reattached the radio to his belt and turned to the other man. "Search the building."

(-#-)

**Midnight**

We trudged along the corridor in silence; the only noise was Camazotz humming – calm and relaxed as always. The only light was the faint glow of the occasional hanging lightbulb from the ceiling. They were few and far between as well as being old and covered in dust so little light emanated. With the small amount of luminescence the dirty, greasy walls of the tunnel could be seen. I looked back and couldn't see the hatch we entered through. I frowned at that but figured we were just too far away at this stage. Every time we passed beneath the light, Cassie's face was partly illuminated. Alice and Camazotz shunned away from the light but I stood beside my trainer obediently. Cassie's face remained in shadows – her expression almost unreadable. I say almost because having known her all my life, I knew her well enough to know what she was feeling.

She looked sad and ashamed. I nudged her ankle with my muzzle.

"Are you okay?" I asked but she only heard it as a concerned whine. She looked down at me and tried a smile but couldn't seem to produce one. She gave a sigh and sunk to the ground.

"What am I doing, Midnight?" she asked. "I'm breaking into a building for God's sake!" Cassie rushed over and hugged Cassie as I licked her. Camazotz then proceded to land on her head.

"Don't worry 'bout it, man," he said. She didn't understand him but must have appreciated the gestures anyway because she smiled and pulled us all closer.

"Thanks," she muttered, but paused. "This place is absolutely disgusting." She got up slowly so as not to dislodge anyone. "We're here now so we might as well grab the bags. Then I guess I'll go apologise to Sam and try to salvage what little relationship we might have left." She sighed and began to walk off, beckoning us to follow. Alice looked noticably happier with the anouncement that we would be going back to Sam. I suspect she was just glad she'd be seeing Atrum again. I couldn't help but frown as my eyes narrowed and my jaw tightened. I didn't like her getting so close to someone who was potentially… no, who _was _a threat to the group. I would have to talk to her about it.

It suddenly got brighter and I cursed myself for not paying attention for the second time today. Looking around I realised we had emerged in what looked like the main building. It was very bright and open with computer terminals and flashing lights located sporadically around the area. It was also completely empty. Cassie scanned the area for a moment before moving on.

"Alright," she began, "Sam probably left the bags in the main hall so we'll-" My ears piped up as I heard someone approach. Alice and Camazotz stopped as well. I growled to let Cassie know and she stopped to look down at me.

"What's the matter?" she asked. We all froze when two people – one man, one woman – turned the corner to find us. There was a silence which was broken when Cassie sighed and held up her arms.

"Okay, you found me," she said, "I'll leave." The two people exchanged a knowing glance as the man reached into the inside of his uniform. He pulled out an object I'd never seen before but Cassie obviously recognised it because the sight of it filled her with dread. It was dark and fairly small – fitting comfortably in one hand. It was roughly in the shape of an "L" with one end being pointed at Cassie. Cassie started muttering frantic pleas as she backed away and I took that as an opportunity to act. I quickly fired a sand attack at the two men, obscuring their vision for a few moments. The front man yelled out and shied away as he swung the object in a direction vaugely near us and squeezed-

A deafening bang suddenly emerged from the object. I yowled in pain as the sound reached my sensitive ears and a throbing pain pounded in my head. I heard Alice screech nearby. Camazotz, however, was a zubat and so his hearing was better than any of us – a fact that didn't do him much good in this case.

"Madre de Dios!" he screamed so loud it almost rivaled the explosive sound of the object. He fell to the ground with agonising shrieks of pain and terror. He rolled around weakly while mumbling and frantically batting the air with his wings. Of course all of this took place within a few seconds.

I shook my head but that just made the pain in my head and ears worse. Gritting my teeth and ignoring the pain, I flattened my body and snarled intimidatedly. Putting pressure my my front paws and kicked forward with my back ones, I launched through the air towards the two men. I opened my jaw and reached forward with my claws outstretched. I saw two flashes of red from the corner of my eye. The two men rubbed their eyes and glanced to see me soaring through the air. Their expressions quickly changed to ones of terror. By this time the sand and dust were just beginning to clear so I didn't see the other pokémon before it was too late. I felt a momentary flash of pain as a silkoon slammed into me. A yelp emerged from my mouth as we both crashed to the ground and tumbled into the wall.

I rolled away and howled at the silkoon before jumped forward and scratching her. She let out a cry of pain and weakly tried a tackle. Keeping my expression neutral I ran to the left but feinted at the last moment and bit her harshly. She mumbled something before falling unconscious. I allowed myself a small smile at the victory before turning back to Cassie and… she's gone. Where is she? Where is my trainer?

I was starting to panic. No, wait, I was panicking. I glanced around but she was nowhere to be found and-

I felt a sudden flash of severe pain coupled with another explosion. Glancing behind me I saw one of the men pointing the object at me with an expression of pure hatred. I saw a drop of blood hit the ground as I suddenly realised I was bleeding. I didn't pause for one more second before I turned and ran. Although it went against every fibre of my being to run from a fight, I needed to find Cassie. And whatever that man had, I couldn't fight it. I just hoped Cassie and the others got away.

(-#-)

"Commander!" A guard ran down the hallway towards another figure who had stopped in the hallway.

"Yes?" the commander replied with obvious irritation. The commander didn't bother turning around to face him but the voice was obviously female. Not deterred, the guard continued.

"We located a girl in the complex-"

"How?" she interrupted sharply.

"Well, years ago, the old GTS stood here before it was demolished to make room for the global terminal. It seems some of the old entrances were left – maybe as an escape route in case of emergencies." The commander finally turned around. She didn't look very old; in her late thirtys at the oldest. Her pale complexion made it obvious she was from Sinnoh but the most distinguished quality was her hair which was short, pointy and pure crimson.

"Find the girl," she said, "kill her." The guard nodded.

"Yes, commander Mars."

(-#-)

Cassie huddled in the corner of a supply closet amidst several brooms, mops and cleaning supplies. It was small and cramped and silent. Cassie shivered and breathed heavily. Her hands shook as she reached into her pocket and took out a single pokéball. She enlarged it and pressed the small button in the centre to release her pokémon. Camazotz appeared in a flash of red and immediately let out a screech of pain. Cassie grabbed him and frantically pressed him against her to muffle his cries. She held her breath and waited for someone to hear the cries. She waited for the door to open. When it didn't she slowly let go of Camazotz who was still groaning from the pain of the gunshot a few minutes earlier.

"Camazotz, listen," Cassie said. She tried to stop her voice from shaking but her fear was too great. "I need you to go get help. I need you to go get Sam. Can you do that?" Camazotz let out a cross between a grunt and a screech which Cassie took to mean an agreement. She slowly stood up – being careful not to knock anything over in the process – and slowly opened the door enough to see out of. She spied an air vent on the opposite wall and pointed at it. Camazotz fluttered over and rammed into it, causing a crash to echo slightly. Cassie winced and looked around from the door to make sure the hallway was still empty. When she looked back she saw the zubat had taken a more subtle approach and was chewing on the bars of the vent. It took a minute or two but eventually he managed to create a hole wide enough to fit though. Camazotz tucked in his wings and squeezed through to the other end. He quickly looked back at his trainer before flying on and leaving her behind.

(-#-)

The two figures stood in the shadows: a female toxicroak and her trainer. The man wore a long, dark brown cloak and a hood which concealed his face entirely. A slight breeze blew and rustled the edges of the coat, blowing it back. Neither being spoke and neither moved save for the steady rise and fall of the toxicroak's throat. The cloaked man's narrowed – as did his pokémon's. Neither of them spoke for a time until eventually the toxicroak turned to her trainer. She tilted her head and let out a grunt. He nodded. They had spent many years together and – as many trainers do – they had learned to understand every movement.

"Yes," he replied, "it's time." The toxicroak made a sound somewhat similar to a purr in anticipation. The two figures walked towards the global terminal.


	13. Excursion

_Beta-Reader: The Puppeteer's Ghost_

* * *

**Chapter 13: Excursion**

* * *

**Alice**

"_You're pathetic!"_

I couldn't breath.

"_No one cares about you!"_

I was hyperventilating.

"_You're weak!"_

I was terrified.

"_Everyone hates you!"_

I tugged at my feathers and tried to stay calm but couldn't. It was too much.

"_You'll always be this way!"_

I felt like crying.

"_Why don't you just die?"_

"Alice," I heard my trainer say. There was fear in her voice too but she kept it under control. I envied her. I huddled in the corner of the closet and shook with fear. The darkness seemed to do more than just envelop me. It squeezed me, constricted me. I couldn't escape – I couldn't get away. Even if I could I doubt I'd have the courage. Cassie pulled me closer and held me tight. I buried my head in her jacket and closed my eyes. I listened to her soothing voice and tried to stop myself from remembering…

"It's all right, Alice," Cassie told me, though her voice was shaking. It reminded her too, I guessed, of the times we had to hide in the closet. He would crash through the front door and instantly start screaming and yelling. We didn't always get to hide and then he would come for us. Sally warned us when she saw him coming but sometimes we just weren't quick enough. The insults, the threats, the pain. It was all coming back to me. I could still hear his voice screaming at me telling me… that's not Paul's voice…

My eyes shot open and my breath caught in my throat. I whimpered and fidgeted as Cassie stroked my head softly. "Everything's going to be-"

She didn't get farther than that when the door was wrenched open with a screech of metal. Light flooded into the closet from the edges of the door and I gazed up in terror as Cassie held me tighter. I saw a pair of huge dark blue hands gripping the edges of the door. I gasped as the hidden figure flung the door into the far wall and revealed itself.

It was a huge, hulking humanoid pokémon with purple-blue skin stretched over mounds of muscle covering its entire body. The muscle mass was so great that its own skin and ripped apart on the arms to reveal lines of flesh. The small amount of light reflected off the shiny golden belt it wore and its red eyes glinted as it leered down at me.

"Found you," the machoke said. I screemed and the machoke grabbed us both – pulling us both out of the closet. I couldn't breath and clutched frantically at my neck as the machoke lifted us off the ground. He sneered and tightened his grip slightly. My head was pounding and I felt like it was going to explode.

"Brute!" came a female voice. "Put them down!" Mercifully, the machoke released his grip and we plummeted to the ground. I curled into a ball and clutched my throat. Sneasel were fragile at the best of times and with a fighting pokémon like that I was lucky my windpipe hadn't been crushed. I was thankful it hadn't been. After finally getting my breath back I rushed over to Cassie and hugged her leg. There were two men, both wearing uniforms like we had seen on the other guards. A crimson haired woman stood in front of them. She examined us both for a moment or two before she turned to the two other men beside her and spoke.

"Kill them both."

(-#-)

**Sam**

I shouldn't have left. I shouldn't have let her go. I knew it immediately. I was mad and impulsive. She was probably just overwhelmed with everything that happened. I should have been more understanding.

But there was nothing I could about it now. Not with the two men guarding the only other entrance. I glanced down at my pokémon. Atrum walked near me while Tempest waddled along beside me with Rose by his side. I examined them and they looked up at me. I tried to analyse their facial expressions but all I got was the vauge sense that Atrum looked hungry. I couldn't even _see_ Rose's face. Cassie made it look so easy; she always knew exactly what her pokémon were thinking. I never knew what my pokémon were trying to say to me.

"Sloooow," Tempest muttered, to my immense confusion. I wondered what he meant.

"Sloooooooow," he said again, in a tone that may have been a higher pitch than the previous one.

"Slooow," he said a third time and raised a stubby pink leg to point at something above my head. I wondered what he was doing and I looked up to see the side of the global terminal. At first I didn't notice anthing unusual but then, squinting against the bright sunlight, I saw an air vent that seemed to be moving. It was hard to tell so I couldn't be sure. Then I had to step out of the way to avoid the falling grille of the air vent. I frowned as I examined it to see it look like something had chewed through it. I glanced up-

And screamed as a zubat fell on to my face. Its fangs glinted in the sunlight and its leathery wings brushed against my skin. It let out a shriek which I followed with one of my own. I would say it glared at me but there was only dark, leathery sunken patches where its eyes should have been. I tossed away the zubat and took a few steps backwards. It flew through the air to land on Tempest who gazed at it for a second before helping it up. Then something occurred to me.

"Camazotz?" I asked. The zubat let out a high-pitched squeal of what I can only assume was confirmation. He started to fly over to me but I held up my hands and backed away.

"No, no," I told him, "that's okay. You can stay over there. I'm fine." Camazotz glared… stared… looked… I can't think of anything that doesn't involve eyes. It started shrieking again and I couldn't help but shy away. I knew I was being ridiculous but I just couldn't let go of my fear that it was going to kill me. It certainly looked like it was going to with the sunken hollows for eyes, the dark leathery skin and the sharp glistening fangs. It was even worse without Cassie here. I knew she could keep him under control and she could usually understand what he was saying. I was about to open my mouth to tell Camazotz to slow down. Then I remembered it wouldn't make a bit of difference.

"Okay," I began, and trailed off, not knowing what to do now. You can tell, this was going so well. Camazotz continued to screech while Tempest tried hand signals and Rose jumped up and down. I was never any good with charades so I just stood there like an idiot trying to make sense of it all. Atrum just looked on in amusement.

"Some help you are," I said to him. He shrugged.

"Sol."

"Yeah, whatever." I saw something out of the corner of my eye that made me freeze. A familiar figure was walking along and humming a tune to himself. I paused and muttered, "I'll be right back" to my pokémon before running off towards the figure.

"Finn!" I yelled. "Finn!" He kept walked with the alakazam floating along beside him. I finally reached him, a little out of breath and grabbed his shoulder. "Finn!" He turned and grinned at me.

"Billy!"

"Sam, actually. Didn't you hear me call you?"

"Sam, right. I thought you were yelling _Fin_."

"…That's the same thing."

"Nu-uh. I spell my name _Finn_ with two 'n's. I thought you were shouting _Fin_ with only one 'n'." We both fell silent for what seemed like ages as I contemplated that piece of information.

"Well…okay…um, yeah. Anyway, I need your help with something."

"Sure. Anything you want, Andrew."

"Sam."

"Right, of course!" A minute or two later I had Finn's alakazam staring at Camazotz whom was staring back. For a while there was silence. Then Camazotz let out a quick screech which provoked muffled laughter from the other pokémon. The alakazam scowled and uttered a menacing grunt as he turned to Finn. I got the feeling that if I knew what happened that would have been very funny. Finn paused, closed his eyes and began to speak.

"He says Cassie is in trouble… He says there are people with guns… And he says you need to help her." Finn paused for a moment then added, almost as an afterthought, "and he says it all in a Mexican accent". A small part of me was wondering what that last part was but the rest of me had stopped listening as soon as he said Cassie is in trouble. That was all I needed to hear. I thanked Finn and immediately left with my other pokémon in tow.

"No problem, Jim," I heard him yell after me beore pausing for a moment. "I think I need an umbrella." He glanced up at the clear blue sky above him. The sun shone down without a cloud in sight. "Yep, I definitely need an umbrella."

I ran around the corner and down the alley where we found the entrance. Atrum easily kept up with me although Tempest and Rose fell behind a little. Camazotz fluttered overhead just a little too close for me but I didn't really care.

I didn't know what I was going to do but as it turned out it didn't matter. I stopped where I was as I frowned, confused by the sight before me. The hatch was wide open and the two gaurds were lying motionless on the ground. I tentatively poked the nearest one with a foot but received no response. After checking to make sure they were breathing, I waited for Tempest and Rose to catch up. They did, and we entered the building. I took no notice of my surroundings save for the occasional glance around to see if anyone else was there. We walked through the damp gloomy corridor in silence until we reached a split in the tunnel. I hesitated, knowing that time was of the essence and Cassie could be anywhere. Atrum didn't hesitate, though, and immediately turned left.

"Atrum!" I yelled but he didn't even pause to look back. "Atrum, stop!"

I heard a voice coming from the right tunnel. It was Cassie.

I tried calling Atrum again but he was gone and I couldn't afford to waste time. I cursed Atrum. Why didn't he ever listen to me? I tried not to dwell on it and kept running forward until I stopped at a door and heard a woman's voice say "kill them both". I didn't hesitate a second longer and barged through the door out into the hallway with only Camazotz by my side. I immediately noticed two male guards, a woman in front of them and a machoke surrounding Cassie and Alice. They all turned to me and I tried to think of something witty, cool and impressive to say. I couldn't think of a thing.

"Hey!" I eventually said, weakly.

"Sam!" Cassie cried, clearly appreciating the heroic gesture. The others didn't.

"Oh no," the woman said in a deadpan tone, "the cavalry has arrived. What will we do?" Hearing something behind me, I glanced back to see Tempest slowly waddling towards me with Rose beside him. He looked exhausted and panted heavily with every step he took. In hindsight I probably shouldn't have ran with a slowpoke.

"Sloooooooooooooowwwww," he muttered and collapsed on top of Rose. I heard muffled cries for a few moments before it faded. Camazotz let out a screech and flew over to them. Then I was alone and suddenly very aware that there was an enormous machoke standing there. As if on cue, the machoke reached out and grabbed by leg – hoisting me off the ground and holding me upside down. I flailed and struggled for a while before eventually just giving up. The blood rushed to my head and I looked over at Cassie.

"That was the worst rescue ever," she said. I did my best to shrug but it's a difficult thing to do when you're hanging upside down.

"Now I have to kill all of you," the woman said. "And then we'll have to make it look like an accident. I hope you two appreciate the amount of trouble you've caused me!"

"We appreciate it," I said and instantly regretted it. Mostly because she slapped me across the face. I winced – my cheek stinging badly.

"I won't tolerate any sarcasm from you," she told me.

"What about from me?" A new voice had spoken. Everyone turned, including the machoke which meant I could see the new arrival. He stood at the far end of the hallway covered in a long dark brown cloak with a hood concealing his face. He didn't face us directly but stood at a slight angle with his head turned away, looking as if nonchalantly examining a spot in the wall. The only thing that could possibly make the figure seem more dramatic was if a gust of wind ruffled the edges of his longcoat. The woman hesitated before speaking, obviously worried.

"James," she said, "I should have known you'd show up eventually."

"It's been a while, Davida," he commented. "Or is it Mars again?"

"Mars?" I exclaimed. Looking back at the woman, I should have recognised her. Cassie looked confused and I realised she probably wouldn't have heard about Team Galactic's plot back in Hoenn.

"I suppose it's pointless asking you what you want," the woman, Mars, muttered. I could just barely detect a smile from beneath the stranger's hood.

"Damn right," he said. "And now I'm going to free those kids, defeat you all and eject you from the building. It's up to you how painful you want it to be."

"And how do you intend to do that?"

"I'm doing pretty well so far. After all, while I was distracting you I managed to buy my pokémon enough time to sneak around behind you. That's gotta be a good start." Mars spun around and so did the machoke. I was really dizzy at this point and all the turning didn't help. Even so I could make out the figure of a vaugely humanoid blue pokémon. It may have been blurry too but that was probably just me. It made a sound I can only describe as being a bloodcurdling croak and slammed its hands together so fast they really did blur. A huge shock wave blasted out and hit everyone, making them flinch. My head pounded and white spots kept appearing in my vision. Annoyingly though, the machoke was still standing. Without wasting another second, the pokémon I had identified as a toxicroak rushed forward and jabbed one red claw into the machoke's side. It grunted and threw me into the wall.

"I need reinforcements!" I heard Mars scream into the radio in one hand. Suddenly, the radio was kicked out of her hand as James appeared from nowhere and punched her in the shoulder. Mars scowled and jumped backwards to avoid another strike. She bent low and tried to punch him but he dodged. She swung one foot across the floor to try and trip him up but James jumped and swirled around to kick Mars in the face. She shrieked and jumped away.

"Sam!" I heard Cassie say and saw her over.

"Cassie," I muttered and tried to stand up only for a flash of pain to force me back down again. "Ow!" Cassie sighed and wrapped her arm around me, helping me to my feet.

"Worst rescue ever," she said again but muttered, almost as an afterthought, "thank you." I heard a small bang and suddenly the hallway was filled with white smoke. I couldn't see anything and began to worry.

"Cassie?"

"I'm here." I felt someone grab my arm and pull me along as we picked up speed. As we cleared the smoke I saw James running beside me, pulling Cassie along with the other arm. His toxicroak ran ahead, carrying Alice in its arms. Tempest, Rose and Camazotz were nowhere to be found.

"What-"

"Don't talk," James said, interrupting me. "Just run." And so we did.

(-#-)

**Midnight**

Traces of a white smoke drifted through the hallway as I prowled along, my left ear bleeding slightly from whatever had made the deafening bang. I raised my head and sniffed the air, inhaling the scents around me. I didn't get to do this very much and it was a relief to be able to do it after all this time. I froze when I recognised the scent of a fighting pokémon – a large and powerful one too, most likely a machoke or hariyama. Fighting pokémon always had overpowering odours about them. Like a mixture of sweat, blood and body odour. It's impossible to accurately describe it to those without a mightyena's keen sense of smell.

My eyes quickly scanned the area as my body tensed. My ears piped up but there were no voices close by. I relaxed slightly and walked forward a little, sniffing at the walls and floor.

Humans had been here – several, in fact – and I recognised Cassie immediately. Another whiff and I discerned Alice and Sam. They had been here and… they had left rather quickly with someone I didn't recognise. A human… and a toxicroak. I was immediately suspicious. They could have been taken. And I didn't trust fighting types very much.

I cursed myself for not arriving fast enough. They were here, goddamn it! And I should have been here too. That human and toxicroak shouldn't have taken them away, I should have. If I had just been a little faster then-

"There you are," someone exclaimed suddenly. I swirled around with my teeth bared and my claws ready, anticipating a fight. I was not expecting the figure I saw at the far end of the hallway.

"I've been looking all over for you," Atrum said calmly as he strolled over to me. I snarled at him furiously and he stopped where he was: mid-pace with one paw still raised.

"What," I snarled, "are you doing here?"

"I came to find you," he tentatively replied. My claws dug into the ground and my jaw tightened. I only felt incredible rage.

"Why, because I can't do it all by myself? Is that it? Because I do _not_ need you're help! _Especially_ not your help! You want to help me? Then leave me the fuck alone! Because I will _not_ have you undermine me as leader! I've earned my title of leader! Do you have any idea what it's like to be a poochyena? I got beaten up by goddamn wingull! A _wingull_! I hate wingull! And I spent years like that too! Do you have any idea how hard that was? Do you? Because it was really goddamn fucking hard! And it's my job as leader to protect everyone in this group! And I can not, no _will _not have you impede my duty!

"And you're barely part of this group too! I know that for some reason the others seem to like you but that will _not_ last long when they realise who you are! Because I know there's something seriously wrong about you! I mean you appear from nowhere covered in blood and bullet wounds and don't even remember who the hell you are! And then despite being fucking awful at battling you manage to beat me! Me! No one beats me! And then you take down a full goddamn team of pokémon! No one can do that!

"And on top of that, you don't have scent! I just realised that now! Everyone has a scent, but not you! You don't smell of anything! Why is that Atrum? Well? Are you some kind of goddamn magic? Is that how you've got Alice to connect with you? Because I will not let you hurt her and- PUT DOWN YOUR GODDAMN PAW!" Frozen in place for the previous five or ten minutes, Atrum hadn't taken a step forward and his paw was sill raised. He quickly placed it on the ground as I paused to breathe.

Atrum stared at me, astounded, astonished, amazed, bewildered, overwhelmed, confounded and another hundred adjectives. His eyes were wide and his mouth was agape. I took several deep breaths before looking back at Atrum.

"As I was saying-" I would have ranted some more but I suddenly felt a blinding flash of pain as something hard kicked me into the wall. I yelped and landed in a heap. Atrum approached me but I growled at him and he backed off. Looking up, I spotted the machoke I had smelled earlier. I had been so preoccupied I hadn't notice him approach.

Goddamn it.

The machoke hadn't hit very strong so I quickly got up and bounded away – avoiding a second kick. I landed next to Atrum and we faced down the machoke. It towered over us and leered.

"Sebastian!" it yelled. "I found me some fresh meat!" I heard an enthusiastic cry and watched another pokémon turn the corner and stop beside the machoke. It was fat and pudgy but surprisingly lithe. Two whiskers like broken antennae stuck out from each side of its head and its tail curled tightly like a spring. It looked at me with beady eyes and an ugly sneer and yowled.

Goddamn cats.

Atrum looked a little apprehensive and for once I couldn't fault him. The machoke alone would be a huge problem but now we another that mangy cat to worry about. Purugly are well known for being contrary and stubborn. As such, they're very against the idea of being defeated. It's just like them to be so damn irritating.

"Follow my lead," I muttered to Atrum. He gave me a look of confusion in response.

"What?" I didn't reply. Instead, I growled deeply at the two opposing pokémon. The machoke flexed his arms while the purugly yowled "it's on, bitch!". Atrum just looked confused.

"What's happening? Are we fighting? All four of us?"

"It's a double battle," I explained briefly, not taking my eyes off my opponents.

"That seems needlessly confusing," he commented.

"If you think that's bad," the machoke began, surprising us both, "then you should see Unova. They've got triple battles and rotation battles." The purugly glanced up at his partner.

"Oh, you're from Unova?"

"Yeah, I got family over there. My father's actually a conkeldurr, you know."

"Wow, I never knew that." Atrum leaned over to me.

"Is this always how double battles start?" he asked. I growled at him and turned to the others.

"Can we get on with this?" I asked them, not bothering to hide my intense irritation at this entire debacle. "I need to find my trainer and you two are wasting my time."

"Oh," the machoke said, "well, in that case…" Shouting a battle cry of some sort, the machoke rushed towards me and swung his foot out in a low sweep.

"Jump!" I yelled at Atrum and leaped away. Atrum followed my advice and jumped out of the way of the machoke's leg. Satisfied he hadn't been hit, it turned my attention to the purugly. It growled at me and I growled back. It ran at me faster than I thought it was capable of going and scratched me across the muzzle. I felt a momentary flash of pain and growled again. The purugly tried another scratch but I ducked down and bit it on the leg. It yelled out and pushed me away. I shot a few sand attacks at it as I rolled away and one of them hit it, blinding it for a few seconds. In the meantime, I turned my attention to the machoke.

It was fast and powerful. As strong and as lucky as Atrum was he could barely get an attack in past its defenses. I decided to help even the odds and shot a sand attack at the machoke. As he yelled out I arched my back and howled. I noticed Atrum's eyes glow silver for a moment before rushing in towards the machoke. He hit it with a scratch and darted away just to hit it again with a quick attack. I approached from behind and jumped up to bite it hard on the neck.

The lumbering machoke screamed and reached behind him. I panicked as I saw his hand rapidly nearing me and tried to get away but I wasn't fast enough. I choked as he grabbed me by the neck, hoisted me up and raised his fist. I flinched but without warning, a small whirlwind appeared from nowhere. It enveloped the machoke and slashed at him with blades of wind. His grip loosened for a second and I bit him hard on the knuckles.

I knew it wouldn't have hurt him that much but it gave me enough leeway to wriggle free-

Just in time for the purugly to slam into me. The breath was knocked out of my lungs as we crashed into the wall. I could feel the purugly's hot, musty breath on my face as he leaned over me. He began a fury swipes but only got to the second one before Atrum crashed into him and knocked him off me. Atrum darted out of the way of a scratch and darted back – striking the purugly with a paw. It stumbled to the side where I slammed into it with a tackle. The purugly looked at me and seemed to vanish, melting into the shadows around it. I felt a flash of pain as I was struck from behind. I knew it was the purugly because I was able to get back up immediately.

As if to spite my last thought, the machoke ran towards us both. Atrum jumped at his head and dealt him what looked like an extremely painful scratch to the jaw – provoking a loud yell. He kicked his hind legs against the machoke's chest to jump off. Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough and the machoke grabbed one paw, pulling him back down and swinging him around him. He swung Atrum around a few times before letting go in my direction. Atrum flew through the air so fast I didn't even have time to swear before he barreled into me. We both crashed into the far wall and fell into a heap – tangled together uncomfortably.

"Sorry," he muttered apologetically. I just growled at him and he quickly jumped off. He used a quick attack and struck the purugly so hard it flew into a wall. I darted after it while ignoring my aching muscles and my bleeding ear. I leaped at the mangy cat, closed my mouth around two whiskers, and pulled. The ear-piercing screech it let out gave me a headache and I pulled hard again, this time wrenching them out. The second scream was quickly silenced as Atrum slammed into the purugly with a quick attack. It rolled over a few times before coming to a stop. I spat out the whiskers and opened my mouth to talk. I was stopped, however, by the machoke which jumped over and kicked me into the wall. I yelped involuntarily as pain flooded through my body. My vision blurred for a second and I tried to get up.

Before I could, the machoke ran over, (avoiding Atrum on the way) hit me again and forced me down with a karate chop. Another karate chop and I was in agony. I tried a menacing roar but only managed a weak growl. The machoke grabbed me by the throat and lifted me up. It shoved me against the wall and began to squeeze. My eyes bulged and my vision began to blur. I would have choked and wheezed but I couldn't make a sound. Instead, I opened and closed my mouth weakly. My head pounded and I started to go numb. I glared at the machoke and he grinned.

The pressure was suddenly released and I fell to the ground. I thought I saw Atrum but I wasn't sure. I couldn't stand up so I just slumped where I was. My head still pounding, everything started to go dark.

And then I began to dream…

(*)

"_Where have you been?" The voice was cracked and grating and ever so familiar. I gulped and stopped where I was. The rest of the pack had become curious and were gathering around. Keeping my head lowered, I slowly turned to see the Alpha behind me. He was black and silver like most mightyena but instead of sleek shiny fur, his was torn and matted with many bald patches and scars. One eye was bloodshot and the other was lazy. Alpha inspired fear wherever he went and at the moment he leered down at me: a poochyena almost half the size of him._

"_Nowhere," I replied, trying to be brave and face him._

"_Don't lie to me, pup! You were with that human, weren't you!" It wasn't a question. I felt a flare of anger at the contempt he poured into his words._

"_Her name is Cassie," I shot back. Alpha sneered in reply as a menacing guttural growl escaped his mouth._

"_I don't care what her name is!" he snarled. "You're spending more time with her than you are with you pack. Maybe you should reconsider where your loyalties are." The crowd fell silent and I slowly raised my head to face my alpha._

"_Maybe I should…" I said coldly, and leaped. I crashed into Alpha and we tumbled to the ground. I stood on top of him and growled in the most threatening sounding way I could think of. It must have been effective because Alpha hesitated before pushing off. I rolled over and got to my feet – facing him once again._

"_What do you think you're-"_

"_I challenge you," I said, interrupting him, "for the title of Alpha." A stunned silence descended on the entire pack and even Alpha's mouth hung slightly agape. "Do you accept?" We all knew he had no choice: it was part of pack law. If someone challenged the Alpha then they had to accept and if they lost then the challenger would become the new Alpha. That being said, it was rare for a female to make a challenge and it was unheard of for a poochyena to do so. Alpha scowled, raised his head and howled. He arched his back and closed his eyes – the moon behind him. The foreboding howl struck terror into my heart as I stared at the powerful mightyena I had just challenged. I forced myself to look away from the sight of him, his outline emphasised against the light of the moon in the sky. _

_The Alpha smirked, confident of his victory._

_The pack leaned forward, anticipating the Alpha's victory._

_I steeled myself, and prepared to win._

_Alpha jumped and soared through the air, his mouth wide and his teeth gleaming. He was fast and powerful but he was old and out of practice._

_And I was pretty fast too._

_I ran towards him and ducked as he shot straight over me. I turned around and watched as he overshot and crashed into a tree. He snarled and ran towards me but I twisted my paws and shot a sand attack right into his eyes. He screamed in fury and barreled in to me. I yelped as I felt a flash of pain and we crashed into the dusty ground. Dirt and dust rose up, obscuring my vision for a moment. It was a moment too long and the next thing I knew, Alpha had me pinned to the ground. He tried to scratch me but I managed to squirm away and it only grazed my side. I wasn't so lucky he second time and he dealt me a harsh scratch to the muzzle. I shrieked in pain and saw blood on the tips of his claws._

_Alpha opened his jaws and bent down to bite me. Being a poochyena, that bite would probably take my head clean off. In an effort to avoid that, I raised both paws and jammed them into Alpha's mouth – keeping it open. Alpha's eyes widened in surprise and tried to shut his jaw while simultaneously trying to swear at me. Neither worked as I strained to keep his jaw open lest he swallow both my paws. He frowned and threw his weight to one side, rolling us both over. I held my grip and we ended up in the exact same position a few feet to the right. He raised one paw to scratch me and, in desperation, I did something very unexpected. In a very unorthodox motion, I somehow managed to kick my hind legs forward in a sand attack aimed straight for Alpha. At the same time I headbutted him and released my paws so the sand entered his mouth. Alpha coughed and choked as I ran away a few paces – ignoring the stabbing pains all over my body._

_Alpha wheezed and snorted as he clawed at his mouth. He turned and glared at me with those bloodshot eyes. He roared and rushed at me but I darted out of the way and delivered a quick bite to his leg as I avoided his own gnashing teeth. He shrieked and retaliated with another scratch which I nimbly avoided. Alpha wasn't used to fighting small opponents like me. If he was, I would probably have been dead long before then. It brought me a little comfort._

_Alpha and I faced each other – each of us breathing heavily and injured badly. Then, despite my best efforts to remain calm and detached, I couldn't help but smile. Alpha screamed in fury and rushed towards me yet again but I darted between his legs and climbed on to his back. He roared and shook from side to side as he tried to shake me off. I held on and edged along until I reached his head. I reared my head and opened my jaw, running my tongue over my teeth and hoping they were sharp enough for what I planned to do. As Alpha attempted to swat me away with one paw, I bit down and tore of a piece of his ear. Alpha screamed and ran forward towards a tree, probably hoping the impact would knock me off. I spat out the tip of the ear and jumped off as Alpha slammed into the tree with a thump and a shower of leaves falling down. _

_My paws practically groaned in pain as I hit the ground and the rest of my body followed in their protest. I ignored everything else and ran forward. I ignored the wide eyes and shocked expressions of my fellow pack members. What I did think of was Alice and Cassie. I would win this for them. I shut out everything else. And then, as Alpha raised his head, he locked eyes with mine as I ran towards him. In that moment he knew he was about to lose. He didn't try to move away or dodge. I jumped up and dealt him a powerful tackle to the jaw. Alpha's eyelids flickered shut as he slumped to the ground, unconscious._

_I stood there for a moment, not entirely sure what had just happened me. Then it hit me and I broke into a smile. Glancing around me, I saw the crowd of astonished mightyena and poochyena. They were so… bright. Bright? I paused at that thought. Suddenly, I felt something – a tingling sensation in my toes which spread to the rest of my body. It was strange. I felt my body changing. What had begun with a slight tingling was now something else completely. My entire body had gone numb and I felt myself growing. I felt a sudden sharpness as my ears became more sensitive and grew in size. I got the feeling that the sudden sensitivity should have been painful but I couldn't feel it. I was immune to all pain and only felt pure elation. A white light enveloped me and obscured my now-enhanced vision. I closed my eyes to the glow and felt the indescribable ecstasy take hold of me. It banished all my pain, healed all my injuries and left me with pure bliss._

_And then, as quickly as it appeared, it began to fade. I opened my eyes and blinked, examining my new body. I was a mightyena. And then I looked up to see the rest of the pack and I realised I was something else. The Beta stepped forward and examined me._

"_Alpha," he muttered, and lowered his muzzle. And then, to my amazement, every other member of the pack did the exact same. I vaguely recognised a mightyena that beat me up in the past, doing his very best to avoid being noticed._

_The bliss I had gotten from evolving was gone but my attitude hadn't changed. I was powerful. I was a mightyena. I was Alpha. And there was two others that I wanted to share this with. Without another word, I ran past the other pack members and away towards Cassie's house. The pack would understand. They all looked at me when I passed by. The feeling of power was exhilarating but I knew it came with responsibilities. I was Alpha now and I had a duty to my pack. I had to protect them._

_The pack took up residence south-west of Littleroot Town and Cassie's house wasn't far away. I ran through the forest, the undergrowth beneath my paws. I took a deep breath and inhaled the scents around me. Everything was so clearer now. I felt the warm breeze ruffling my fur in way that I never experienced when I was a poochyena. It was all so intense. My ears piped up as I began to hear voices. Familiar ones too. I ran a little faster. I couldn't wait to show Cassie and Alice what had happened._

_My smile vanished when I turned the corner and saw the chaotic scene that lay before me. Cassie's house was surrounded by yellow tape and several adult humans as well as a few other pokémon. I saw someone being carried along on a stretcher by an exploud._

_Looking closer, I froze and rushed over, avoiding the others as I reached the woman on a stretcher. I watched, wide-eyed and horrified as Sally Gunn was loaded into a large white vehicle with flashing lights. _

"_What happened?" I asked the exploud, unable to tear my eyes away._

"_Father knocked her around a bit hard," the exploud explained as quietly as it could though the noise still hurt my ears. "She hit her head and she's not responding. Could be a brain injury, not sure though." He sighed with the magnitude of an earthquake. "Poor kid. Father's probably goin' to get sent away for this and between you and me, I don't think her mother's goin' to wake up any time soon." He may have kept talking, I don't know. I had stopped listening. I turned my attention to the chaotic scene around me and backed away to avoid a few people. I glanced up to see Paul Gunn being led away by two other people – his hands tied behind him with some kind of metal device. _

_Looking up at Paul I saw despair in his eyes. He was shaking and crying but I couldn't feel sorry for him. Not after what he had done. They passed by and I spotted Cassie and Alice inside another vehicle. I heard a revving noise coming from it as the wheels at the bottom turned. It started to move away and, panicking, I ran after it, barking. The vehicle started to pick up speed as it reached the road and, as fast as I was, I just couldn't keep up. I barked again and again as tears began to fill my eyes. The vehicle in front began to get smaller and smaller until eventually, it turned a corner and was gone._

_I kept running for a while – racing through unfamiliar streets and calling out their names._

"_Cassie!" I shouted so loud it hurt my ears. "Alice!" My pace slowed until I stopped completely in the middle of the road. I fell to the ground and sobbed._

_I should have been there, I should have stopped this from happening. I had failed them all._

"Midnight?"

_They had been my only friends and I couldn't help them. I felt powerless and ashamed. The sense of achievement I had felt was gone, replaced by despair._

"Midnight."

_I blinked away the tears and stood up. I wouldn't let this stop me. I failed my friends once but I swore it would never happen again. I would make up for this. I would protect them and wouldn't let anyone else hurt them ever again. Even if it meant I had to leave my pack. I would make up for this. I would keep them safe. I would… I would..._

"Midnight! Midnight, wake up!" My eyes blinked open and shut. Everything was blurred and hazy and I still felt numb. I recognised Atrum leaning over me as I gradually regained consciousness. Sensation returned and so did the pain. I stood up slowly and glanced around.

Judging from the scene, I couldn't have been unconscious for more than a few minutes. I noticed the machoke rubbing his head as he stood up from a heap next to the wall. I shook my head and steeled myself.

"Let's finish this," I muttered and watched Atrum stand beside me, copying my own stance. The machoke stood up straight and eyed us both – a little nervously. I growled threateningly and began to approach with Atrum following close behind. He attempted a growl but it just came out sounding like he had indigestion.

"Don't growl," I said to him, keeping my eyes on the machoke and not looking back.

"Sorry," he replied and stopped. The machoke flexed his muscles.

"Now!" I yelled at Atrum and pounced. The machoke grabbed at me but I had jumped too high and soared over him and Atrum attacked while he was preoccupied. He darted in with quick attack and scratched him a few times before ducking away. I was pleased he understood my diversion.

I neared the wall and thought of something. I kicked off against the wall like Atrum had done and flew straight back towards the machoke. He wasn't expecting it and I dealt him a bite to the neck. I managed to get away before he hit me again and landed next to Atrum. We exchanged a quick glance and advanced again – this time in unison. We attacked the gigantic fighting type with perfectly timed precision, coordinating our efforts and darting just out of his reach. He didn't stand a chance.

With a low moan, the machoke collapsed to the floor face first and lay there unmoving. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Well," Atrum commented, "we make a good team." He was right. As much as I hate to admit it, we worked well together. That being said, I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of admitting that to him.

"Come on," I said to him and walked off long the corridor. He followed me but didn't speak. My thoughts turned to my memories. I swore to protect Cassie and Alice and I would. I gave up my position of Alpha just a few months after the accident and joined Cassie's team. I gave up my former life and I would do it again. My mouth curled into a snarl. I would protect them at all costs.

And I wouldn't let anyone stop me.

(-#-)

Unbeknownst to everyone, three small figures traversed the corridors of the global terminal. Two of them strolled along while the third fluttered in the air just above them. The silence of the empty hallway was broken by their bickering.

"Well, it was a frightfully long way to run," Tempest explained, looking apologetic and embarrassed. "I do suppose I'm not quite as good at exercise as others."

"Still, I think you did some serious damage when you fell on top of me," Rose commented.

"Well, then why don't you climb on to my back and I'll carry you," Tempest suggested.

"No way! I still have some bit of pride."

"Do you?" Camazotz asked. "Really, man?" Rose opened his mouth to answer but paused. He quickly changed the subject. "Okay, we're alone in a building full of humans who tried to kill us and our trainers only moments ago. What do we do?"

"Let's break some shit, man!" Camazotz put forth enthusiastically. Tempest seemed unsure.

"Do we have to? I would hate to cause any unwanted damage."

"Don't worry, we'll be sure to send them a cheque to cover the damages."

"What a marvelous idea, Rose. Do you really mean it?"

"No, of course not! Don't you understand sarcasm?"

"Well, sometimes it can be difficult to convey it in text format, man." Rose frowned and glanced over at the zubat.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh, don't worry, dear boy," Tempest said reassuringly. "This is precisely the sort of comment Camazotz is inclined to make."

"Right." There was a long silence. "So… breakin' shit?"

"Fuck yeah, man."

"If I must."

(-#-)

**Sam**

"I'm James," the stranger told us. "James Jean Lores." We had taken shelter in one of the many rooms of the building and at the moment we were all in the corner of the room. Cassie sat in an old chair with Alice holding her tightly. I sat on the ground next to them while the toxicroak guarded the door.

James stood in the centre of the room next to a small table where he began loading a gun. I shot him a worried glance and he shook his head.

"Don't worry," he said. "They're rubber bullets. A little less lethal than normal ones." He placed it on the table behind him and turned to face us.

"By now they've covered all the entrances so I can't get you out until this whole thing is over," he explained. "You'll have to stay with me."

"But who are these people?" I asked. "What are they doing here?"

"I don't know. But I do know they're working with Jupiter and Mars."

"Who?" Cassie asked. James raised an eyebrow.

"She's from Hoenn," I quickly explained. "She wouldn't know about Team Galactic."

"And what about you? Do you know the details?" I shrugged.

"I was only a baby when it happened but I grew up hearing about it." Cassie still looked confused so James decided to explain.

"Sixteen years ago Team Galactic emerged as a terrorist group fronted by an apparently legal organisation. They looked ridiculous and idiotic so no one paid much attention to them. That was a mistake and it was only due to the efforts of a select few that we are even standing here today. Without going into too much detail, their plan was to use the power of the Legends to recreate the universe. The plan failed and the leader, Cyrus, was trapped in an alternate dimension with a legendary he had antagonised. Without him, the organisation quickly disbanded and most of the members were arrested. Jupiter and Mars were among the few to escape. No one heard from them again." He paused. "Until now, of course…"

"How have I not heard of this?" Cassie asked, astonished. I couldn't blame her – she had just found out that someone almost destroyed the universe a few years ago.

"Cynthia had the whole thing kept quiet," James explained. "It wasn't hard. There weren't many people who knew the entire plan – only bits and pieces."

"Then how do you know?" Cassie asked suspiciously.

"I had some friends in the organisation. And before you start getting suspicious, you still haven't told me who you are."

"Cassandra Gunn," she said defensively. "Cassie." James turned to me.

"What about you?"

"Samuel Jacobs." James hesitated, a flash of emotion crossing his face. His brow furrowed.

"Samuel Jacobs… from Celestic Town?" I froze.

"Yes," I said, "how did you know?" His expression hardened once again and he looked away rapidly.

"I… I… just a guess," he said weakly. I opened my mouth to press the issue but stopped when I heard a growl from the toxicroak. Cassie, Alice and I all turned but didn't see anything wrong. James grabbed a gun and we turned our attention back to him.

"So what do we do now?" Cassie asked. James didn't even hesitate before answering.

"We take back the Global Terminal."


	14. Occursion

_Beta-Reader: Crukix _

* * *

**Chapter 14: Occursion**

* * *

**Cassie**

"_Sneasel!"_

"_Oh God… Sally?_

"_What have you done…?"_

"_Please wake up."_

"_What have you done?"_

"_I'm sorry…"_

"_Get away from her! Mom! Mom!"_

"_Sneasel…?"_

"…_so sorry."_

"_Mom! Please wake up! Mom! Mom!"_

"Cassie!" Sam's voice interrupted my thoughts and jerked me back to reality. I glanced behind me to see him looking at me with concern.

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm just… I'm just tired." I turned away before he could say anything else, before I could look too closely into his caring eyes. He didn't believe me. I wouldn't have believed me. I'm usually much better at lying but there's something about Sam that makes me-

"I looked around the building and couldn't find another way out." I jumped again, suddenly hearing a voice. James appeared out of nowhere and strolled in to the room. He looked over at me and frowned slightly.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"I just didn't hear you come in," I muttered, feeling very embarrassed.

"Be glad I wasn't one of them or you'd be dead by now," he replied. I just nodded and slunk away over to Sam and Alice.

"Did you see any of our pokémon?" Sam asked. "A zubat, slowpoke, absol, mightyena and budew." James shook his head and whistled sharply.

His toxicroak immediately appeared by his side, calm and ready for anything. The way the two of them interacted was amazing. I've heard of people and pokémon so close they could communicate but with James and his toxicroak, even the faintest noise or slightest movement was understood. They must have been together for years. I hoped I could have that relationship with my own pokémon someday.

That is, if I got out of here alive. At the moment the chances weren't as good as I would have liked. James spoke again, more forcibly this time.

"They're searching all the rooms," he said. "We'll have to go." James and the toxicroak herded the three of us out of the room. I still held Alice's hand tightly. My heart was beating so fast as we walked along. I kept glancing around, jumping at every noise and expecting to be caught at any moment.

The situation we were caught in had now sunk in. There were people here that were trying to _kill_ us. Actually _kill_ us. With _guns_. And it was absolutely terrifying. I was trying to keep myself together but I didn't know what to do. Books and knowledge couldn't help me now - and they'd always managed to help me before.

Even worse, it reminded me of a time when I was just as afraid as I was then.

And I don't like to be reminded of that time.

We stopped walking and James opened a door to lead us into… a closet.

"You'll be safe here," he said, beckoning us inside. His expression was neutral and he kept his voice calm.

"I thought you said we would have to stay with you," Sam said with a frown.

"I know I did but that was before-"

"Before he told you his name." I interrupted James before he could finish. Sam and I stared at him and he looked away.

"How do you know me?" Sam asked. James paused for a second before he looked into Sam's eyes and said,

"Sorry." He shut the door and locked it, leaving us in the dark. I rushed over and tried to open the door but it was firmly locked. Beside me in the close confines of the closet, Sam swore.

(-#-)

**Tempest**

The corridor was simple and unadorned - the walls painted a cheerful grey colour. It was empty save for the three of us: a slowpoke, a budew and a zubat all in a line, staring up at an air vent, arguing. I imagine it must have been a very unusual sight for anyone watching us.

"I'm telling you: it's not going to happen."

"But it's the perfect way to spread havoc, man. Haven't you ever seen Die Hard?" Rose obviously chose to ignore the last part of Camazotz's sentence. It didn't make any sense anyway.

"Well," I began, "I think it's a good idea."

"Oh really? Then how do you suppose we get up there?"

"Perhaps Camazotz can fly us up there?"

"You _really_ think a _zubat_ can carry our weight?"

"Not before Generation IV, man."

"Well, I have no doubt we'll find another way up there, my dear Rose."

"Well unfortunately I left my magic wand at home."

"That was a little foolish of you, old chap. If you have a magic wand you should always carry it with you."

"Oh for the love of-" I heard a low growl and all three of us looked at each other.

"Did you-"

"No, was it-"

"I can't even make that sound. Perhaps it was-"

"Nope. Maybe we should-"

"Yes, I think we should." There was a long silence and we all very slowly turned our heads. Behind us there was a large, imposing mole pokémon looming over us. Dark brown fur was streaked with blood red but it was nowhere near as menacing as the gleaming metal claws on both paws; somewhat resembling a mixture of a shovel and an axe but more terrifying than either. They snapped open and shut periodically like a crab's pincers. A third one rose up above the pokémon's head – concealing his face in shadow. The only feature visible was the white's of the creature's eyes, eerily still and focused on us. The only sign of life was the occasional breath it took.

"What is it?" Camazotz cried, obviously panicked and flapping his wings in terror. "I can't see!"

"Wait a second," Rose interjected. "How do you recognise any pokémon then?"

"Because I've met them and I know what they sound like and how my echolocation hits them. I can't identify something I've never met before, man."

"But how do you tell apart members of another species?" Rose asked with curiosity in his voice. I turned around and spoke, curious and completely forgetting about the pokémon behind me with claws as big as me.

"I would presume he remembers the sound of their voices," I said.

"Yeah, that makes sense. You know I can't believe we haven't mentioned this before."

"Still not learning what it is," Camazotz muttered.

"Right you are, chap," I said and walked over to the new arrival. I leaned in close and narrowed my eyes, scrutinising every aspect of him.

"I think," I said, "he's an excadrill."

"I don't know," Rose said, doubtfully, "he looks more like a zangoose."

"No way, man," Camazotz said, eager to join in the conversation, "zangoose aren't this scary."

"I guess you've never met a hungry zangoose in the middle of the night."

"I'll settle this, chaps," I said, turning back to the as-of-yet unidentified pokémon. "Sorry to bother you, old boy, but what species are you?" He frowned and stared at us in disbelief, his mouth slightly open. I thought it was a perfectly reasonable question but it took a while to answer.

"Er… I'm an exadrill," he replied with a voice sounding like granite being scraped against the ground.

"No, no, that can't be right," Rose protested. "Excadrill are more of a dark purple colour. And the markings go the other way… You know what he looks like? A sandslash!"

"Gilipollas! Sandslash don't grow that big, man. And they look different."

"I think the females grow a little bigger than the males," I put forward.

"Well that's it then," Rose said and walked right up to the pokémon. "You're not an excadrill," he began, "you're a fat, ugly female…sand…slash… Oh crap." The low growling of the creature had turned into furious snarling. We all began to back away from the pokémon. That is, until our backs hit the wall behind us.

"Maybe this is the time to run," Rose commented, visibly shaking.

"Fuck, man, that time was around ten minutes ago!" And then, without warning, the creature pounced. I shot a confusion and Camazotz fired a supersonic which, when combined at close range, seemed to confuse our attacker. For his part, Rose had elected to scream loudly and duck behind us. I don't know what he hoped to achieve but I'm sure it was a noble contribution.

Despite being confused however, the pokémon kept going and was rapidly approaching the three of us.

"Oh my," I muttered.

"Vete a la chingada!" Camazotz yelled, darting out of the way. I followed his lead but Rose was still cowering. The creature reached him with a dazed expression and unfocused eyes. He raised one claw and prepared to strike. Rose let out a high-pitched scream before swelling slightly and shooting out a torrent of water that looked like water sport. The other pokémon was knocked back by the force of the water and landed in a soaking heap a few feet away. Rose finally opened his eyes.

"Is it over?" he whimpered. Camazotz fluttered over and glared at the budew. A glare of congratulations no doubt.

"Marvellous strategy, Rose," I told him. "Luring in the opponent by feigning terror then striking with a move that would damage at close range."

"Er…yeah, sure." We all jumped at the sound of the creature stirring. He waved a paw and swatted Camazotz away before slowly rising to his feet. He shook his head and turned to face us – looking very inconvenienced and not at all susceptible to a spot of tea to work out our differences. He growled and rushed towards us, swinging one paw with a metal claw.

"Joder!" Camazotz yelled and grabbed Rose by the top of his head, hoisting him high up in the air. He spread his wings wide and flew up, smashing straight through the air vent above, all the while with Rose muttering "ow, ow, ow." Camazotz shook his head and glanced out. The pokémon beneath turned his head to me and Camazotz yelled out.

"Run, Tempest, run!… No, I said run, not waddle away at a casual pace!"

"This is as fast as I can go!" I exclaimed, panicking ever so slightly as I shuffled away as fast as my legs would carry me. I heard Camazotz groan and mutter "madre de Dios" before shooting a supersonic at the at the other pokémon. I managed to get behind a corner and glanced back, prepared to fight for my friends now that I was far enough away to use my attacks to full effect.

Rose and Camazotz had vanished in the air vent and the attacking pokémon was stumbling around the corridor, holding his head. He glanced my way and I gulped. I had to go find the others so I turned and started to run. I made sure not to look back.

(-#-)

**Cassie**

_I'll always remember it. The vibrant red and orange light of the sinking sun shone through the window of the kitchen. It settled on the paintings, the drawings, the photographs that were scattered through the room, pinned to the fridge, hanging on the wall. Each one of them was signed either Cassie or Sally. A poorly done painting that looked like someone repeatedly scratched the paper with paint-stained claws was signed Alice. A few of the older ones had Paul on them but there weren't many of them. There hadn't been for a long time._

_The kitchen was fairly large and modern: one of the benefits of Paul having a well-paid job working for the Hoenn Pokémon League. Even back then, I couldn't bring myself to call him Dad. _

_The kitchen was immaculately clean with all glasses, plates and cutlery put away in their place. The cookbooks in the cabinet were alphabetised, the pictures were all perfectly straight and all the furniture formed right angles with each other._

_That was how she coped. Everything had to be neat and clean and symmetrical. _

_It's where I got it from._

_It was a nice sight, I thought to myself as I stood in the doorway and looked in. I was younger then, only fifteen, but I looked mostly the same. A little shorter maybe, but I still had the tanned complexion, the long black hair with purple highlights. My clothes were black: a light t-shirt, a skirt. I liked Hoenn. It was warm._

_The noise of playful yowling directed my attention away. I couldn't help but smile as I spied Alice and a poochyena playing on a cushion in the corner. The poochyena was one I had rescued years ago. I had brought her home and the whole family nursed her back to health. Even Paul had helped. We had to let her go but the next day she came back. And the day after that. And the day after that. Eventually, I named her Midnight and Mom allowed her to come and go. It was good for Alice too._

_Alice belonged to my Mom – her only pokémon. She had been with us since I was born. Paul had given her to Mom as a present. That was back before he started drinking._

"_He's a good person, Cassie," my mom used to tell me. "He's just… forgotten that." I doubted it was true. _

_Alice wasn't allowed out of the house at all anymore. Midnight was the only other pokémon she saw. Her only friend. She lit up when Midnight came to visit._

_And then, all of a sudden, the peace was disrupted. I heard angry voices from outside and they were getting closer. _

_All three of us froze. Midnight's eyes went wide in terror and Alice gave a fearful whimper. I darted over to them immediately, bending down and shooing them away._

"_Come on," I whispered, the tremble in my voice betraying the fear I tried to hide, "quickly!" Midnight and Alice stayed close to me as we ran. At the right of the kitchen a hallway led out to the front door. Midnight got there first. She stood up on her hind legs and scratched frantically at the mahogany door._

_I carefully unlocked the door and opened it slightly being as quiet as I could, still mindful of the voices. Midnight darted out and I closed the door after her. I breathed a sigh of relief when I knew she was safe._

"_Sneasel!" I heard Alice shout. I turned to see Paul right behind me. He towered over me with an ugly sneer on his flushed face. With his neat brown hair and his expensive black suit he looked like he had just come from a business meeting. But his eyes gave him away. They were filled with drunken rage and they leered down at me._

"_Where d'you think _you're_ goin'?" he asked, his voice slurred slightly, his breath stinking of alcohol. I tried to speak but couldn't._

"_Answer me!" he screamed, spittle flying. I looked away and he scowled. He reached up and grabbed a sweaty fistful of my hair, wrenching me away. I shrieked in agony – the sharp pain like needles in my scalp. Tears filled my eyes and dripped down my cheeks as he pulled me along. I could hear Alice shouting as she rushed after me._

_We reached the kitchen and some part of me noticed Paul arguing with someone but I was too preoccupied with the pain to take note. He shoved me away and I hit the cold black tiles of the kitchen floor. I felt soft hands on my skin and looked up to see my mom looking down at me. She held my hand tightly and gently stroked my hair._

_I could hear her speaking, begging, pleading with Paul as he ranted and raved at all of us. I didn't know what they were saying but I caught a few words._

"_You're pathetic!" he screamed. "No one cares about you!" And then, something snapped in me. "You're weak!" After years of abuse I had finally had enough. "Everyone hates you!" Shaking wildly and scared out of my mind I slowly got to my feet. "You'll always be this way!" _

"_Stop!" I barely recognised my own voice – not because of the tremors but because I couldn't believe what I had said. Paul turned and stared at me, his eyes wide with disbelief and his mouth hanging open slightly. Everything had gone silent._

"_What," he asked, "did you say to me?" I gulped and forced myself to look in to his eyes despite every fibre of my being telling me to cry, to apologize, to run away as fast as I could. But I didn't do that._

"_I… I…" I trailed off and paused to think of what I wanted to say. "I won't let you do this. Not anymore." I began to hear my mother pleading and holding me tightly._

"_She doesn't mean it, Paul," she said meekly. "She's sorry."_

"_No," I said, interrupting her, "I'm not." Paul glared right at me. His right eye twitched and the vein on his forehead bulged. He clenched his shaking fists so hard the knuckles turned white. He slowly began to walk towards us._

"_Sneasel," came Alice's voice, stepping in front of me and my mother. My act of bravery must have inspired her because she stood before Paul. He scowled and kicked her across the room. Her small and tender body flew halfway across the kitchen where she struck a nearby cabinet. I heard something break and screamed as I tried to rush over._

"_Alice!" I shouted but Paul grabbed my wrist, squeezing it tightly and making me wince. _

"_I'm in charge here!" he yelled. "And you better learn some respect, d'you hear?" My mother spoke up again._

"_Paul, please don't," she said, placing her hand lightly his arm and looking at him with pleading eyes._

"_Shut up!" he yelled, pushing me away and punching my mother in the face. "Why don't you just die?" She yelped and spun around, falling down. I heard a thump as her head struck the corner of the cabinet. She rolled to the ground and lay there. I knew instantly that something was wrong as I examined my mother. Paul didn't realise though._

"_Get up," he said and kicked her hard when there was no reply. "GET UP!" But she didn't. She just lay there, lifeless, unmoving. I felt my blood run cold and a feeling of overwhelming dread wash over me. Paul stopped and took a step back as Alice tried to get up._

"_Sneasel!" she yelled, pulling herself over to my mother. Paul seemed to realise what was happening._

"_Oh God…" he muttered, the horror on his face was evident. "Sally?"_

"_What have you done…?" I muttered quietly, still staring at my mother, unable to tear my eyes away. Paul knelt down and gently shook her shoulder._

"_Please wake up," he murmured. _

"_What have you done?" I screamed, finally recovering from the shock. He looked up at me and I saw there were tears in his eyes._

"_I'm sorry…" he told me but I didn't care._

"_Get away from her!" I yelled and pushed him to the ground as I shook my mother frantically. "Mom! Mom!" Alice had managed to crawl over to us. She glanced at her trainer and then back at me._

"_Sneasel…?" she said, confusion and pain in her eyes. Paul leaned back against the wall and ran one sweaty hand through his hair. He kept crying and muttering._

"…_so sorry," he muttered. I ignored him. I ignored everything else but my mother. My mother who wasn't dead because she was still breathing. My mother who couldn't be dead. She couldn't leave me. Not like this._

_My tears continued to fall and I continued not to care. They fell on to my mother's blouse to make circular stains. And still, I continued to shout, to yell, to scream._

"_Mom! Please wake up! Mom! Mom!"_

(-*-)

"It wasn't long before they arrived: first the ambulance, then the police. They had to literally pry me and Alice away from my mom. After that I spent a few months in hell while Paul's trial went on and people decided what to do with me. No matter where I was, Midnight visited me every day – and as a mightyena too. She helped us to keep going. After some convincing I was able to become a trainer and the government paid for a flight to Sinnoh: where my mom originally came from. The day my flight was scheduled to leave, Midnight showed up at the airport. She refused to leave so I took her with me. And then we came here."

I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. I never had friends growing up; never had anyone I felt close too. This story had never left the confines of my own head. I looked back up at Sam, his face obscured in the semi-darkness of the closet. He had been listening intently to my story. I expected him to say something but he just smiled and laid his hand on mine. I felt his soft touch on my skin.

It was nice.

"Sam," I said, curious about something, "why did you come back for me?" He furrowed his brow as he looked at me.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, you could have left me."

"I'm not following you." The thought hadn't even occurred to him. He went to save me despite the risks and not once did he think he shouldn't. I felt my grin widen and I may have blushed. I hate it when that happens. I just hoped Sam didn't see.

"Are you blushing?" he asked.

Damn it!

"No!" I retorted, scowling and examining the closet floor. Sam reached forward with one hand, placed a single finger beneath my chin and gently raised my head to look into my eyes.

"I think you are," he said with a smile on his face.

"No," I said again but I realised I was smiling too. I gazed into his deep blue eyes and everything else vanished from my mind. I've always hated the expression "butterflies in my stomach" but it's the only way to describe how I felt without resorting to all that romantic crap.

Although…

I couldn't help but notice the rise and fall of Sam's chest, the way his slightly unkempt hair fell down to his shoulders, his smile, his eyes, his-

Okay, now I've got to stop.

Sam lightly brushed a strand of hair out of my face – avoiding the pigeot feather I still wore in my hair. He slowly leaned forward and so did I. My heart was racing. The sound of his breathing reached my ears and I closed my eyes and-

"Sneasel!" We both jumped my eyes shot open. We both looked awkwardly at each other and I cleared my throat. The moment was lost.

Damn it.

I turned to Alice, having forgotten she was here. She looked at me and tugged at my leg while pointing at the door.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"Quiet," I told him, listening carefully. I could just about make out the sound of-

"Slooooow!" Sam and I exchanged a glance before we rushed to the door. We pounded on the door while Sam yelled out.

"Tempest!" he said. "Tempest, can you hear me?" There was a long silence before the sound came again.

"Slooow."

"Tempest, can you let us out?"

"Slooooooow?"

"Let. Us. Out."

"Sloooo. Oooow. Poooooke." I groaned and started shouting.

"Let us out!"

"Sneasel!"

"Come on, Tempest just open the-" The lock clicked and the door swung open. Tempest was on the ground just outside, lazily swinging his tail back and forth. He tilted his head and looked up at us with a dopey grin.

"Slow?" We stood there for a moment before Sam spoke.

"Tempest," he said, "did you open the door?" Tempest paused for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Then… who did?" I didn't have an answer.

"We should go," I said and the four of us left. Though I couldn't help but take one last look back at the closet door.

(-*-)

**Camazotz**

The vent was small, cramped and filthy. A gentle rush of musty air flowed through it and I had to fold up my wings to prevent it carrying me away. Thankfully, me and Rose were small enough to fit in properly though it was incredibly dusty and uncomfortable. I guess I chould have actually _watched_ Die Hard before suggesting this but…well…I never really liked action movies; I was always more inclined towards romance. But I digress…

"Well, this is the most uncomfortable cliché ever," I muttered as we hobbled along inside the air vent. Being a zubat, I wasn't used to actually having to walk. I was forced to shuffle along awkwardly on small, lanky legs that haven't been used properly for years. I couldn't wait to be a golbat. I would be stronger, faster, have proper legs and, of course, I would be able to see. I was looking forward to it. I had heard a lot about the colour green and was interested to see if it was as good as I was told. The golbat and crobat would tell us stories of the world of sight when we were growing up but no zubat could really understand it.

"Hey," said Rose, "you think Tempest is all right?"

"Sure, man," I replied, "of course he is." I did my best to keep my voice calm and clear. I didn't want to worry Rose. In truth, I didn't know whether or not he was fine. I didn't know if anyone was fine. We were all alone, surrounded by enemies without our trainers or our friends. I was shaking slightly and a worried frown was on my face though I made sure I was in front of Rose so he couldn't see.

My ears kept twitching at every noise and I was panicked and worried. I don't handle stress very well – I never have. I got even worse after Juan. The three of us barely kept going: Cruzita, Carlos and I. But we survived. We kept going. We left the past behind us.

We _stopped_.

But lately it's just…it's too much for me to take. The feeling has returned, the desire, the insatiable craving that just…won't…stop. We all had our triggers. It hit Cruzita when she got lonely and Carlos could never stand to be nervous or tense.

For me, it was guilt. Something I had live with a lot since I left Cruzita and the others. I didn't want to start again – not after so long without it – but it was getting so much harder to banish it from my thoughts.

I had to say something, anything, to take my mind off it. And besides, there was something I was confused about.

"Why here?" I asked aloud. Rose turned his head and stared at me.

"What?"

"The other people. The bad guys. Why did they come _here_?"

"I dunno. Does it matter?"

"If we figure out what they want then we can figure out how to stop them."

"Stop them? I thought we were hiding!"

"We can't let them get away with this!"

"Maybe _you_ can't."

"Come on, man. It'll be fun! We'll be like two humorous detectives spying on them. Like Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, or Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, or Jackie Chan and…" I was starting to see a pattern here. "…Anyway, it won't be dangerous – I promise. We'll just stay in the air vents. It's not as if they'll see us, man." I grinned and Rose eventually returned it.

Obviously, as pokémon go, budew and zubat… well, suck. We're not strong, or fast, or durable. As strong pokémon go, we're down near the bottom of the scale with magikarp and sunkern. But if there's one thing we're good at, it's being ignored. Sure, it's not the best ability but right now it was looking pretty useful.

"So," I began as we continued walking along, a goal now in mind, "what do you know about this place?" He shot me a look.

"You…do know I'm a budew, right?"

"Come on, man, give me something. You must have heard about this place from other pokémon or people. Think, Rose!" He shrugged - an impressive feat without shoulders.

"I never really had time for humans. I always thought they were so weird. Did you know they go to the bathroom indoors? Don't tell me that's not strange." I uttered a frustrated sigh. He must have got the message because he rolled his eyes and seemed to think harder. "Look all I know is that it's a place where human trainers come to trade their pokémon with these "machines" and…" He may have kept talking but I had stopped listening. Something he had said stuck in my mind.

"If they've gotta come here to do that then there must be something special… records in the machine… trainers… pokémon…" I was rambling on and fluttered back and forth like I was pacing. Rose raised an eyebrow and looked at me like I was completely insane. A valid point. The answer came to me and I suddenly wished I had fingers so I could snap them.

"If they have to come here for the machines it must be because they have to officially trade and change the data." I could tell I wasn't explaining it properly. "The machines must keep records on all trainers and pokémon. They come here to trade and change that data." Rose frowned but nodded slowly.

"I think I get it. What's you point?"

"Well, maybe they were looking for some specific data. Maybe they were looking for a specific trainer." He didn't look convinced.

"Isn't that a bit of a stretch?" I scowled at him. I was frustrated, nervous and scared and he was getting on my nerves.

"You got a better suggestion?"

"Well then, who are they looking for?" The sound of voices reached my ears and I noticed an opening to the air vent nearby with the grille overlooking a room. I turned to Rose and grinned.

"Let's go find out," I said and shuffled over to the grille. Rose followed and we peered out into the room below. The room was fairly large and filled with computers and monitors. It made the whole thing seem like a mixture between a CSI lab and a bond villain's hideout. But while the rest of the building was bright and open, built with glass over a metal framework, this room was different. There were no windows and I presume it was much darker.

The woman we had seen earlier, Mars, paced the room in an impatient manner. She wore a scowl on her face and her fists were clenched as she walked with, I couldn't help noticing, a limp. She was roaring at a few other people scattered around the room – mostly by computers. They treated her with undisguised disdain. The few times one of them elected to look at her, it was to glare and scowl as she turned her back.

"…I don't care!" she yelled, making me wince from the noise. "It won't be long before someone figures out we're not from the League and now that James is here it's even worse!" She grabbed one chair and spun it around to face the man sitting in it. "Answer me damn it!" The nameless henchman replied to the woman; I'll call him Mook One.

"With respect, _commander_," he muttered, not sounding the least bit respectful and saying the word commander with mockery and disgust, "it isn't as if we can do a Google search. It's taken this long to just get through the encryptions and find the trainer information. And the information doesn't seem to be here."

"Well, find it!"

"We can't!" Mars grabbed Mook One by the collar and hauled him up, giving him her best death glare while she was at it. Mook One was undeterred. He grabbed the woman's wrists and removed them from his neck. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"I don't think you understand your place in the chain of command. I take orders from the General or, in his absence, the Colonel. So, _commander_, just because the General thinks you're useful, it doesn't mean you have the authority to order me around." The commander scowled and stepped back, wrenching her hands out of Mook's grip.

"You're going to argue about semantics at a time like this? After the disaster that wrecked our efforts?"

"Mount Coronet was a setback but we will recover. The general will not let Project Glitch fail."

"A setback? Is that what you call it? We're just lucky the news is being controlled! Thankfully very few people saw the initial broadcast of the disaster! If more people knew what happened we would be over. And I'd be a fugitive again." Rose and I exchanged a confused glance.

"Project Glitch?" Rose whispered. I shrugged. That wasn't the most confusing part of their conversation.

"A setback," Mook One repeated.

"Well, it it's only a setback then find me a way to make it right!" She slammed her fist down on the keyboard. "Find me that trainer!" Mook One gritted his teeth impatiently.

"He's not in the database." I glanced over at Rose again, grinning. At least we knew there was someone they were looking for – and that they were male. Now all we needed was a name.

"Of course he is! All trainers are in there!"

"Have you considered that the doctor might have lied to you?" Oh, now there was a doctor involved. This just got more and more interesting.

"He didn't lie. He told me everything I wanted to know. You don't lie when someone holds a gun to your head. He told me the trainer's name was Sam Jacobs." The whole world seemed to stop as soon as the name was uttered. My blood ran cold and my body froze. My mind was filled with the implications and the ramifications of what Mars had said. I turned my head to Rose whose eyes had gone wide – having had pretty much the same reaction as I had.

Needless to say, I was really fuckin' confused.

We both turned our attention back to Mars who was still talking to Mook One.

"He was at the centre and he collected that absol. We need that absol!"

"And you're sure that was the same one?"

"Are you suggesting there could have been another absol who arrived down from the mountain covered in blood, bullet wounds, scars, and broken bones? That there was another absol who survived the massacre of pokémon and people on top of Mount Coronet? No, he's the one we need: the last surviving absol in Sinnoh. And I want him found." At this stage my head was spinning so much I thought it might explode. None of this made sense. I tried to assemble the facts in my head.

Fact: Mysterious pseudo-military organisation including former Team Galactic commander enacted something called Project Glitch.

Fact: The project failed and resulted in a massacre on Mount Coronet which has apparently been covered up.

Fact: Atrum escaped from this massacre severely injured and was captured by Sam in Eterna.

Fact: Mysterious organisation has invaded global terminal to find Atrum but can't because Sam isn't registered in the database for some strange reason.

Fact: I was _still_ really fuckin' confused.

Mook One scowled as Mars finished her rant and ordered everyone out of the room. All the men and women at computers stood up and left the two of them alone. Mars glared at them as they did so. Then she turned her glare back to Mook One.

"What do you think you're-"

"This mission is unsuccessful. The information we need is not here and James will soon bring League attention to the site. I'm ordering an retreat." Mars opened her mouth but seemed to be left speechless.

"You can't-"

"Yes, I can." Mook One left the room – presumably so she could sulk. Meanwhile, Rose and I stood motionless in the air vent with our mouths still agape.

"Well, that does it," Rose muttered at last, breaking the silence. "I'm not staying with this group one minute longer." I turned to him, shocked.

"What? You're leaving?"

"Were you not listening? To any of that? There's a ruthless mystery organisation after Atrum and he hasn't bothered to tell anyone!"

"Well, maybe he has, man. You don't know he hasn't." It was a weak defence and Rose knew it. He glared at me and I couldn't help but shy away.

"Really? You've been with them a couple of weeks at least. Has he mentioned this to you?"

"Well…no. But there's got to be an explanation."

"Of course. Maybe he's got amnesia!" He was pretty angry now, though the sarcasm was nothing new.

"Well, that would be a bit of a cliché," I was forced to admit.

"Face it, Camazotz: he's been lying to you and manipulating you all this time. Why are you even defending him, anyway? It's not like you're that close, are you?" I hesitated.

"I guess not, man," I conceded. "Atrum isn't really that close to anyone. He's got this weird paranoia about people touching him and keeps to himself mostly." I had to pause to think of something that didn't incriminate him further. "He hangs out with Alice a lot."

"So he's lying to her too! How can you not see it?" But the worst was I _could_ see it. Everything seemed to make sense. The incident with the riolu, his isolation, his paranoia. He wandered off by himself earlier too. And of course, his obvious vying for power and fighting with Midnight. But… he can't!

I mean sure, it would make for a good plot twist but not this early in the story. Having him revealed as a traitor this soon would seem like bad writing – especially when there's like a hundred chapters to go. No matter what had happened I just couldn't-

"Did you hear that?" I interrupted myself with the question. Rose frowned and looked around.

"No," he answered. The noise worried me but I shook my head and ignored it.

"Probably nothing," I muttered. And then the floor exploded. Not that it was actually the floor since we were in an air vent but you get the idea. A jagged metal claw shot up through the bottom of the shaft in a screech and a crash. Sparks flew and strips of metal peeled off as a second claw gouged an even bigger hole in the vent. Rose and I screamed in unison and watched in horror as a head shot up through the metal to reveal a familiar face.

"It's the fat-ugly-female-sandslash!" I screamed. The pokémon before us roared, curling its lip into a furious snarl. It would be wrong to say it had murder in its eyes so much as full-scale-obliteration-of-the-universe in its eyes. I suppose the distinction doesn't really matter since it was going to kill us either way but I do like to be descriptive.

"Corra a todo correr!" I yelled at Rose which he took to mean run. He was right. We turned and ran through the vent. Rose tripped over and I helped him up. We kept running until we reached a dead end. Between swearing, screaming and panicking, Rose and I attacked the wall and tried to break through but it didn't work.

I glanced behind me to see the pokémon behind us climbed up into the shaft. He slashed one claw wildly, tearing through the side like paper. It glared at us and hauled its body up into the air vent. It was cramped and squeezed inside the vent. The large, hairy body took up all the space and we couldn't see past it.

Panting and snarling with that familiar murderous glare, it slowly crawled towards us. The screech its claws hitting the metal was torturous in this enclosed space, the noise bouncing off the walls and making my head and ears pound. At this rate I figured I would be deaf by the end of the day.

"What do we do?" Rose shrieked as we backed up against the wall.

"You could try using your head," I suggested but the reference was lost on him and he didn't reply. Clearly he never saw Toy Story 2.

"Gonna get ya," the pokémon muttered and he reached out with one enormous metal claw-

And stopped. A creaking noise could be heard all around. All three of us glanced around nervously as the creaks and groans of the metal began to magnify. Rose gave a shout as we suddenly jerked downwards a few inches. A silence descended on us as we realised what was going to happen.

"Oh fuck, man," I muttered under my breath. With a crash and a bang, the shaft gave way under our combined weight and we all crashed through the bottom of the air vent into the room below. We only fell for a few seconds before I crashed to the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of me. I shook my head and tried to get up only for Rose to land on top of me.

"Hijo de puta!" I yelled.

"Sorry," he replied and kindly stepped off of me. "So, where are we?" We heard the sound of someone clearing their throat and froze. We gulped in unison and slowly lifted our heads up to see Mars staring down at us with an expression somewhere between amusement and confusion. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped, a frown creasing her face, as a creaking noise sounded from above us.

Rose and I instantly scrambled to our feet and darted away without even stopping to swear. We couldn't help but glance back though, to see the pokémon that was chasing us crash through the ceiling as well and plummet downwards. It crashed into the computer – smashing through it in a shower of sparks and metal. Mars ducked away and began screaming – at us, at the other pokémon, at God, who knows. We weren't staying long enough to find.

Our opponent extricated himself from the wreckage of the computer and scanned the room. His eyes narrowed when he found us and darted in our direction, smashing through tables, computers and other expensive-looking equipment. He ignored everything else (including, to Mars' frustration, her) as he charged at us.

I shrieked and grabbed Rose's head, flapping my wings frantically as I lifted him into the air. I flew as fast as I could and tried to ignore Rose's cried of "ow, my head, ow, my head." I didn't dare look back.

(-#-)

Mars surveyed the damage with a look of anger so intense that those who had entered the room had fled as soon as she looked at them. The excadrill had fled before she could deal with it and so had the zubat and budew. The excadrill she recognised and would deal with its trainer harshly. She reasoned the other two must have belonged to one of the trainers that had broke in. They couldn't belong to James; all he had was his toxicroak. She walked over to one of the smoking wrecks of a computer. She tried typing a few things on the keyboard but nothing worked.

"Damn it!" she yelled and slammed her fist down on the keyboard. She stepped back when she heard a long beeping noise and a vaguely female sounding monotone that informed her "Security protocol alpha initiated. Mainframe shut down activated." All the screens went black and Mars stood there for a moment.

"What. What? No! No, go back! Don't do that, you…piece of…fucking…damn it!" She kicked the computer only for the same voice to sound again.

"Security protocol beta initiated. Alarm triggered. Authorities informed." Mars shrieked and grabbed a radio out of her pocket.

"All units abort mission," she said and repeated it twice more. She sighed and rubbed her temples.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this from Jupiter."

(-#-)

**Camazotz**

"Ow, my head, ow, my head, ow, my hea-"

"Shut up, man!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, is my agony distracting you?" The sound of our bickering probably travelled throughout the entire complex. We were still flying through the corridors, trying to find someone we knew _wasn't_ trying to kill us. It's actually a lot harder than you might think.

We had only been flying a few minutes but zubat wings aren't meant to carry passengers and I was tiring rapidly. Each flap of my wing drained my energy further.

"Oh crap, he's still behind us!" I heard Rose shout.

"Hijo de puta," I muttered, noticing that I was swearing a lot more than I normally did these last few chapters. I turned my head around, though I'm not sure why because I don't have eyes and find my way around by echolocation. I suppose it's just one of those things.

The pokémon rampaged after us, running on four legs to increase his speed, all the while snarling. And even worse, a few other nameless mooks had joined him with their pokémon. I gulped and flew faster until I lost sight of them. We kept flying on until someone suddenly emerged from behind a corner. Some human - a man - and a menacing looking toxicroak who glared up at us.

It figures that we can't fly down a single corridor without running into another grunt.

"Get out of the way, man!" I screamed. The man must have given some command but I didn't see it. The toxicroak did though. She darted up and snatched us out of the air before I even registered her moving. She separated us and hoisted us up – one in each hand.

"Is your trainer Samuel Jacobs?" she asked. Rose whimpered and I gulped. Her gaze was intense and the poisonous smell emanating from her was overpowering. Every fibre of her body exuded a sense of strength and menace being held in check by a will of iron. She didn't even need to threaten us – we already knew just how easily she could kill us. Rose nodded rapidly.

"Yeah," he said, "please don't kill us." The toxicroak didn't move. Her expression didn't even change from the look of calm determination she had held. She just gave a grunt and the man, presumably her trainer, nodded behind her. She dropped us both to the ground where we landed with a thump.

"I'll get you back to your trainer," the man said. Hearing his voice I recognised him from earlier. He saved us and as such, I felt I should warn him.

"Hay gente que nos persiguen! Que nos va a matar! Tenemos que correr!" I screamed in Spanish, then thought it would be best if I translated. "There's like a fuckin' army coming to kill us all!" The toxicroak croaked and inclined her head, pointing down the hall. The man, James, I think, swore under his breath.

"How many?" he asked.

"I don't know!" I yelled back. "A fuckin' army! What more do you want?" The toxicroak tapped the ground a few times, provoking a groan from James.

"I guess we'll have to-"

"James!" a voice yelled. We all turned to see a group of people and pokémon emerge from behind a nearby corner. Namely, Sam, Cassie, Tempest and Alice.

"I told you to stay put!" James yelled at them.

"And we appreciate the suggestion," Sam replied. Alice and Tempest rushed over to Rose and I.

"Jolly good to see you all, chaps," Tempest said to us, happy as always and unfazed by the whole situation. Alice stayed quiet but I smiled reassuringly at her, knowing she must be terrified. I heard James arguing with Sam and Cassie but lost interest when I heard our earlier pursuers arrive. The toxicroak raised her head and tapped James so she must have heard them too.

"Get behind me," James said. Sam and Cassie immediately fell behind him as the toxicroak appeared beside me and the others.

"Be ready," she told us, to our intense horror.

"Wait, what?" Rose spoke for the group. "I know you're some kind of badass ninja but the rest of us suck. How are we supposed to fight?"

"We will fight for our trainers," she replied, "and we will succeed." It struck me as the first time that a small tiny hint of emotion might possibly be present in her voice. Rose opened his mouth to argue but then they arrived.

There was no time to run. We had to face them.

The excadrill (because fat-ugly-female-sandslash takes too long to say) led the others – two other mooks and a golbat. Mooks Two and Three grabbed pokéballs and released a houndour, another golbat and, to our intense and unrivalled horror, a gyarados.

"Oh crap," said Rose.

"Oh damn," said Alice.

"Oh bugger," said Tempest.

"¿Qué chingados? Vete a la chingada! Me cago en la leche! Este es el peor día de mi vida! No me gusta gyarados! No me gusta todo! Me cago en todo lo que se menea! Me gustaría que este día final! Madre de Dios, estoy tan loco que no puedo ni siquiera hablar español correctamente! Probablemente sería más fácil si el autor realmente podía entender español! No me gusta el autor! Qué cabrón! El burro sabe mas que lo! Puto! Cabrón! Hijo de puta!" Everyone stared at me as I paused for breath then finished off with a single "fuck, man."

The mooks had retreated behind their pokémon, much like our own trainers. The difference was that their pokémon were all impressive and powerful looking while we looked like the cast of Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: The Musical.

The gyarados took up most of the space in the hallway – everything else paled in comparison.

Though the ceiling was high and the walls far apart, it still looked cramped. Its serpentine body was covered in scales that presumably glimmered in the light, except for its underbelly which had none. The pointed crest on its forehead scraped the ceiling with a grating scratching noise. Its mouth was agape showing a mouth like the Predator with more teeth than a fuckin' shark. The barbs on each side of its head served to frame its face and make it look even more fearsome.

It slowly swung its tail from side to side as its breathing – loud and ominous – made its whole body rise and fall. It stared at us and I had to force myself not to run and hide. I've faced a good few pokémon before but none came close to the sheer majesty, terror and strength of a gyarados. I've heard rumours of them destroying entire cities and, looking at it now, I knew that was true.

The rage of the excadrill was nothing compared to the hate, the anger, the violence, the sadism and the malevolence that the creature exuded. Once more I was glad I couldn't see. That I couldn't gaze into the creature's eyes. That I couldn't see the pleasure it would take from slaughtering us all.

"M-maybe we c-could try d-d-diplomacy," Rose suggested.

"Marvellous idea, old chap," Tempest said, looking worried himself. "You go right ahead

"What?" I gave Rose a little push forward with one wing. He gulped and stepped forward to face the five enemy pokémon. He stopped and stared up at them, apparently paralysed with fear.

"You can do it, man!" I shouted in support. "We believe in you!" Well, sort of. Eventually, Rose plucked up the courage to speak. He cleared his throat and looked up at the gyarados.

"Oxford's Dictionary defines "surrender" as-"

"I'm a firin' mah laser!" the gyarados screamed. Little known fact: gyarados can only speak in internet memes. After its memetic declaration, the gyarados shot a torrent of water from his mouth. It struck Rose and not only knocked him unconscious instantly, it also sent him flying. He soared over our heads like a green aeroplane and landed somewhere behind James, Sam and Cassie.

"Fuck, man!" I cried. "Who's goin' to use diplomacy now?"

And then it all went to hell.

The gyarados roared and shot another blast of water while the two golbat attacked from the air. The houndour came round by the side and the excadrill charged forward. There were five of them and four of us so it might get a little confusing.

The toxicroak moved immediately, firing a shock wave from her hands and leaping up towards the gyarados. Her movements were fluid and she looked so graceful as she soared through the air that you couldn't help but stare. Then she stabbed the gyarados in the throat and the elegant appearance vanished, to be replaced with the ferocity I was familiar with.

The gyarados went crazy. It screamed with pain and fury as it tried to bite the toxicroak. She launched a barrage of poison stings and sludge bombs as she leaped backwards. She grabbed one of the golbats as she fell and threw him into the gyarados' mouth.

The golbat panicked and fired out an air cutter with only served to infuriate the raging pokémon and cause him to bite down. A few seconds later he spit out the unconscious golbat just in time for the toxicroak to land him with a sucker punch.

That, readers, is skill.

I didn't have any more time to contemplate it though because the houndour leaped up and bit me on the wing. She dragged me to the ground and ignored my yells of pain. I hit her with a supersonic but she shook it off and fired an ember. The flames engulfed my tiny body. All I could hear was the whistle of the flames emerging from her mouth and all I could feel was the heat. I felt the intense pain of the burning and almost cried with relief when the heat stopped. The hounour yelped as a thin blast of water knocked her backwards.

"I say," Tempest muttered as he rushed over to me with Alice by his side, "are you all right?" With my hearing back, I noticed the yells and cries of Sam and Cassie coupled with the oddly silent James. He seemed to communicate with his toxicroak by whistling and snapping his fingers rather than speaking.

I heard Cassie suddenly shout "look out!" and spotted the other golbat flying straight at us. I flew at Alice and knocked her out of the way as Tempest shot a confusion at our new opponent. I saw the shimmer of the attack as it flew right past the golbat.

Damn he was fast.

Thankfully, Alice was faster. The golbat gave a shriek of pain as Alice jumped up and scratched him across the jaw before bounding away with a bout of agility. Listening to the directions of our trainers, Tempest puffed up his cheeks and shot a water gun at the golbat. The water hit him in the wing and knocked him back, spinning in mid-air.

I prepared for a bite but had to stop when a stream of fire directed my attention back to the houndour. She had gotten to her feet (or paws) and was firing bursts of ember at me – which I was very narrowly avoiding. I felt the extreme heat of the fire as one passed right above my head.

I darted back and forth in the air to ensure they didn't hit me but I was getting tired pretty fuckin' quickly. I rushed in and chomped down hard on the houndour's leg but she just kicked me off – seemingly unfazed.

"I could use a little help over here!" I shouted and flew over towards where Tempest and Alice were still battling the golbat. Tempest turned and fired another water gun at the houndour but she jumped over it and hit Alice. I gasped as the two of them rolled to the ground where the houdour opened her mouth to fire an ember. Tempest yelled and tried to save her but his speed – or lack thereof – betrayed him. With no other course of action available, I dived at the houndour.

"Vete al infierno, puta!" I screamed and barreled into her. It's never a good idea to divebomb something twice as big as you and in the circumstance I think I hurt me more than I hurt her. I felt the impact with every muscle in my body aching – including some I didn't even know I had. Still, I managed to throw her off Alice. The houdour turned to me and roared but a faint attack from Alice and a water gun from Tempest knocked her back.

The golbat appeared out of nowhere and slammed his wing into me, batting me aside like a fly. Alice dealt it a couple of fury swipes and it vanished again. And then, when I thought it couldn't get worse, I heard a familiar snarling.

"Oh bugger me," Tempest said as the excadrill charged at us, claws flailing. The toxicroak slammed into it without warning and kicked it away but the golbat managed to land a few hits. She was breathing heavily and had a collection of cuts and bruises like some people have a collection of stamps.

And of course, the gyarados had followed her into the fray. It slithered over and roared before it fired a blast of fire from its mouth. I recognised the attack as dragon rage as the flames shrouded most of the corridor, flickering at the edges and forcing us all into the centre.

Tempest, Alice, the toxicroak and I all huddled together surrounded by flames at all sides as our enemies closed in.

"Well," I said, "it's been nice knowing you, amigos." I glanced at Alice and the toxicroak. "And amigas." I expected them to take us all out in one go but they didn't.

They decided to go for Alice.

The remaining golbat swooped down and grabbed her in his enormous mouth. I yelled out and tried to fly after her but the other pokémon attacked. The toxicroak nimbly avoided the gyarados' tail but Tempest wasn't so lucky and was launched through the air to hit me. He knocked the wind out of me and knocked me to the ground where I had to watch with horror as the golbat chomped down on Alice. She screamed in pain and swiped at him so he threw her across the hallway.

"Alice, no!" I heard my trainer yell as she ran over to help her. Sam tried to run after her but James held her back. Cassie reached Alice and held her in her arms while the gyarados slithered over and prepared to strike. He leered at them both and opened his mouth. Everyone screamed.

And then, we heard it.

A bloodcurdling, bloodthirsty roar that filled me with dread. It was the kind of roar that you can't quite describe. It is the most terrifying thing you could ever hear and it makes you want to run very far away, hide under a bed and mutter: "It's just a dream. I'll wake up any minute now." It's the roar of pure animalistic emotion: of anger, of power, of strength.

It's the roar of a very,

very,

very

pissed off mightyena

called Midnight.

She stood at the far end of the hallway with Atrum behind her.

"Get the hell away from them," she snarled and when she glared at the gyarados I could swear it flinched.

"Midnight!" we all screamed in unison. Atrum frowned, looking indignant.

"Hey!" he said. And then a lot of things happened instantaneously so pay attention.

Midnight ran forward and jumped. She roared again as she jumped right over the flames, murder in her eyes. Incidentally, I think I'm overusing that phrase.

Anyway, the fire of the dragon rage flickered around her fur as she moved through the air. If I was able to see I would probably notice the eerie light of the flames reflecting off the whites of her eyes or something to that effect. She soared through the air and hit the gyarados head on. He tried to shake her off but she ducked and avoided his tail. She dug her claws into his body and climbed up towards his head where she arched her back and howled. Her teeth crackled with electricity and she chomped down hard. The cry of pain that followed was loud enough to start an earthquake.

Atrum followed only a few seconds later and darted through the flames with pursuit. He jumped up and surrounded himself with blades of wind which crashed into the gyarados moments before he did – slashing at his hide with the horn on his forehead.

Meanwhile, the toxicroak took the distraction as an opportunity to strike back. She kicked the excadrill so hard the impact made a clang noise and dented the metal on his head.

At the same time, James reached into his pocket and grabbed a diamond shaped object. He ran to Rose's unmoving form and slowly fed it to him.

While that was happening Sam rushed over to Cassie and Alice.

Also at the same time, Tempest fired a burst of confusion which hit the golbat and sent him tumbling. He righted himself, blinked a few times and promptly flew into the wall. Twice. He paused and changed direction. Then he flew into the ceiling.

And then, finally, I took the opportunity to get my own back on a particular houndour. She yelped as I hit her with a wing attack and, immediately after, an astonish. Tempest joined in by hitting her with a water gun and I went after the golbat as per Cassie's request.

I slammed into him while screaming "vete a la chingada!" He didn't flinch but he looked very alarmed to be confronted with a angry Mexican zubat.

Although, to be fair, it's a very alarming sight.

"You hurt my friend, cabrón!" I yelled.

"Warum sprechen Sie Spanisch?" he yelled out in response. "Warum spreche ich Deutsch?" I stopped and chortled.

"A _German_ golbat?" I asked. "Well why the fuck not?"

"Diese Handlung ist lächerlich! Der Autor mußt verrücht sein!" he screamed as I hit him repeatedly with wing attack. "Helfen Sie mir, bitte! Helfen Sie mir!" A boisterous roar diverted my attention away from the golbat. I yelled and ducked to avoid the flailing tail of the gyarados. It hit the golbat and sent him flying as he shouted "horensohn!"

My mouth hung agape as I watched Atrum and Midnight work in perfect coordination to take down a gyarados. Tempest had managed to take down the houndour while Alice fought with the golbat and a newly-revived Rose doused the dragon rage with water sport. The excadrill was still a nuisance but the toxicroak seemed to get an idea and she called to me.

"Confuse him!" she shouted, ducking to avoid the razor sharp claws. I felt it was best not to argue with her and flew down. I fired a couple of supersonic at the pokémon below and managed to hit him. He gave a cry and stumbled around as the confusion set him. He kept swiping at something above his head. I'm guessing it was those yellow ducks that fly around.

I never really understood that.

I expected the toxicroak to attack but she didn't. I watched her take a deep breath and steady herself. She moved into a fighting stance and closed her eyes. The excadrill recovered and ran at her, snarling and shouting.

The toxicroak struck.

Not even bothering to open her eyes, she punched him as he ran. An earth-shattering, head-pounding, organ-rupturing punch that made everyone wince. I stared with amazement as 40.4 kilograms of excadrill went soaring through the air like a paper plane.

It landed in a heap in the middle of the corridor – in a crater that I'm fairly sure wasn't there before he landed. He shook his head, stood up and an unconscious gyarados landed on top of him. Rose, Tempest and Alice came up to me and stared.

"Well," Rose said, "that oughta do it." With the pokémon out of the way we turned to the mooks-

Who had vanished. Seconds later a xatu teleported in, threw smoke balls everywhere and teleported out the unconscious pokémon.

Oh well, at least we beat them.

(-*-)

"Take these," James said and handed the bags to Sam and Cassie, "and leave." Cassie frowned as she took them and staggered under their weight.

"What, just like that?" she asked and handed one bag to Sam. James nodded.

"Just like that," he replied. "With everyone gone and the police on their way there's no need for you to be here. I don't want you getting involved in a terrorist investigation."

"Who were they?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," James answered, "but I intend to find out." Meanwhile, the pokémon were all in awe of Midnight and – to a lesser extent – Atrum. She hadn't let Cassie and Alice out of her sight and I didn't think she would for a long time.

"So what's your deal anyway," I asked the toxicroak. She gave me a look and raised what I can only assume was the frog version of an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you and your trainer burst in here like Bruce Willis to save us. I mean, are you like spies? FBI agents? Superheroes? I mean fuck, man, I don't even know your name." The toxicroak fell silent and then, with the corner of her mouth slowly curling up into a smile, she spoke again.

"My name is Raven," she said and walked over to join her trainer without another word. I gave a sigh and fluttered over to the others.

"Hey!" someone said. I noticed Rose beckoning me away from the group.

"So," he whispered conspiratorially, "what's the plan?"

"What you talkin' about, man?"

"Atrum. What are we going to do about him?" I fell silent and glanced over at the absol in question. He was talking to Alice away from the rest of the group.

"Oh, right… don't worry, man." I sighed wearily. "I got a plan." The sound of raised voices drew both our attention back to our trainers.

"Why won't you tell me?" Sam asked. "How do you know me?"

"Because… I just…" James stuttered and paused to try and form a coherent sentence. "There will come a time when… We'll meet again and…" He pinched the brow of his nose and groaned. "What I mean to say is… Fuck it!" He tossed a smoke ball at his feet and when it faded away both he and Raven were gone.

"That's just cheating," Sam muttered. Cassie placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on," she said, "we're forty minutes behind schedule." He turned to Cassie, his forehead creased with a look of disbelief.

"You're kidding? You were keeping count?" Cassie scowled in response and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well someone has to make sure we're on time!" The whole group rapidly degenerated into bickering and I found myself thinking that everything was back to normal.

Oh joy.

(-#-)

The figure watched.

It was concealed in the shadows, its feline eyes scanning every inch of the area. It watched as Sam, Cassie and their pokémon defeated the enemy grunts. It watched them talk to James Jean Lores. It watched them leave the building.

But mostly, it watched Atrum.

It watched him, as it had been doing all this time.

As it had been doing since Mount Coronet.

And as it would continue to do until _It_ forbid it to do so.

It needed to watch over Atrum, to protect him and his allies.

For the sake of the world.

It swung its long purple tail, muttered something to itself, and disappeared.

(-#-)

James Jean Lores walked the corridors in silence, keeping his eyes open for any presence. Raven trailed faithfully behind him, her eyes scanning every corner of the building. Mars had fled the building with the others and had apparently left no one behind. He wanted to make sure of that before the authorities arrived. He didn't even know what they were looking for here. Sam's arrival had thrown him off. Seeing him again after so long…

A mixture of emotions welled up inside him: regret, sadness, worry, but also hope. He remembered a promise made long ago.

A promise to Sam's mother.

A sudden noise interrupted James' thoughts. He and Raven didn't even need to look at each other – they moved instantly towards the source. It had been subtle, barely detectable, but still there. A groan of some sort, a murmur. Raven darted ahead and traced the noise to a closet. She stabbed the lock and ripped the door off its hinges as James arrived. A man was huddled in the corner, nursing an injured leg.

As members of mysterious and ruthless organisations go, he looked reasonably normal. A plain black uniform hid the athletic build of a man that looked to be around forty. His slightly greasy black hair was cut short and his skin was tanned.

He shot a panicked glance at James before reaching into his pocket and pulling something out. James acted immediately and leaped at him but couldn't stop the man from popping the object into his mouth and swallowing.

"No!" James cried as he reached him. He grabbed the man's shoulders and shook him. "Who are you? What did you want here?" He choked a few times before his eyes rolled back and he went limp in James' arms. James sighed and carefully placed him down on the ground. Then he stopped. Something caught his eye.

Praying he was wrong, hoping that what he thought he saw was just a trick of the light, he lifted up the dead man's sleeve. Then he saw that it wasn't.

"Oh no," James muttered. "Not after all this time." He gave a weary sigh and closed his eyes. He felt contact on his shoulder and looked back to see Raven. She tilted her head and croaked.

"You know what this means," James said.

"Toxxxx," came Raven's reply.

"Yeah." James turned back to see the tattoo on the dead man's wrist. A simple, single red letter that inspired so much dread: R. "It means that we're in trouble."


	15. Solidarity

_Beta-Readers/Co-Authors: The Puppeteer's Ghost, The Waffle19, Onlinewarrior094 and Veradon__._

* * *

**Chapter 15: Solidarity**

* * *

**Alice**

"So…" Sam muttered. "Have you ever… I mean is this…?"

"No," Cassie answered, shaking her head. "This is the first time I've done this."

"Well, how do we do this?"

"I guess we'll just take it slowly."

"Okay… where do I put this?"

"It goes in that hole there."

"There's two holes. Which one?"

"That one, no the other one… Is it in yet?"

"Not yet." I heard Camazotz's manic, cackling laughter from beside me and I turned away from Sam and Cassie to look at him.

"What is it?" I asked. Camazotz finally stopped his chortling long enough to speak.

"Fuck, man," he muttered, "this must be really confusing for the readers." He burst out laughing once again and fluttered away. I frowned and shook my head – giving up trying to figure out what he was talking about. Hearing a crash, I turned my head to see the tent being constructed by Sam and Cassie collapse on top of them. There was a flurry of swears from both of them as they were covered by the green tarp. The cries and swears continued as they both struggled to get out.

"Where's the entrance?"

"I can't get out!"

"Ow! That's my ankle!" This went on for a while until eventually Sam managed to crawl out of the mangled tent with Cassie following close behind. They took one step forward, tripped up and somehow managed to get caught in the tent again.

"Damn it!" Cassie cried while Sam laughed. She scowled at him but soon started to laugh as well. I smiled at the sight. It was nice to see them getting along again. Jubilife had scared me – the thought of our group splitting up had filled me with dread. Midnight had been right about Atrum. I was even getting along with the others now too.

I saw Midnight claw at the tent in an attempt to free Cassie. My smile faded at the sight of her. Midnight was my first real friend and we were drifting apart. I heard someone approach and looked over to see Atrum. He strolled over and sat down beside me – only falling over once. I smiled at him and he returned the favour after a brief hesitation. I noticed it and wondered what I did wrong.

"Hi, Alice," he said. He sat down next to me.

"Hi, Atrum," I replied with a smile. We talked for a while. It was nice, just the two of us. Camazotz and Rose were somewhere else and Tempest was fast asleep on a rock, lying on his back with his mouth hanging open. Even then there was a trace of a grin on his face. Our attention turned to Sam and Cassie. They were obviously struggling to set up camp. They had constructed the tent as well as they could and moved on; Sam was trying to light a fire and Cassie was sorting everything into the two biggest bags.

"They're still getting along," Atrum commented with a note of amazement in his voice. I had to agree. The two of them argued so much it would be strange seeing them being civilised.

"Cassie opening up to him probably helped," I said. Atrum snorted with derision.

"But of all people, why would she want to tell Sam?" he said and paused. "Then again, I guess he is the only other human around." I stared at Atrum and couldn't help but feel annoyed.

"What have you got against Sam anyway?" Atrum paused, thinking long and hard.

"It's Sam," he finally replied with a note of confusion in his voice.

"He's not so bad."

"No, he's Sam." I frowned at him and he shrugged. "Look, I just don't like my trainer. I don't know why. I don't know why everyone else seems to like him and I don't know why Cassie trusted him enough to tell him stuff about herself."

"Well that's what friends do for each other," I told him. He stopped and a guilty look crossed his face.

"It is?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," I told him.

"Oh," he said, sounding disappointed with my answer. "In that case, I guess I should tell you something…"

(-#-)

It wouldn't light. No matter what Sam tried, the fire just wouldn't light. He had started by rubbing stones against each other, then rubbing sticks against each other, and then – in desperation – rubbing sticks against stones. Nothing worked and he was left staring at a neatly arranged patch of sticks that simply refused to burn. He glanced up at Cassie who was standing over the bags – now packed with everything they needed. She clutched a frying pan in one hand, her knuckles white.

"Cassie," Sam said, a little embarrassed, "do you know how to light a fire?" Cassie stood silent and motionless. "Cassie?"

"I've been planning this for years," she muttered, shaking with rage though her expression remained neutral. "I made a list of everything I needed and measured the amounts and chose specific things to cater to the journey. I even wrote to the manufacturer to make sure the bags were the right size. So why," she asked, waving the frying pan in the air, "will this not _fit_?" Sam backed away when he saw the vein bulging on her forehead.

"Cassie," he said as calmly as he could, "calm down and put down the frying pan." Cassie frowned and glanced at the cooking utensil in her hand. She seemed to have forgotten it was there. Sam slowly removed the frying pan from her clenched fist and placed it on the ground.

"Look, it's fine," he said nonchalantly. "We'll get something to eat and figure it out after a while. Where's the food?" Cassie opened her mouth to answer but something made her pause. A frown crossed her face as her eyes swiveled down to the bag – packed to the brim – at her feet.

"DAMN IT!"

(-#-)

**Alice**

Atrum stared at me and I stared back. Neither of us spoke, but he scratched the dusty ground with one paw, looking uncomfortable and embarrassed.

"Please say something," he pleaded. I blinked and threw my arms around him. A whimper escaped his mouth and he tensed up immediately as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I could feel the soft white mane on my skin, making it tingle slightly.

"That is the saddest thing I have ever heard," I told him though my voice was muffled. I was shaking slightly. Frozen tears of emotion fell to the ground.

"Okay, sure, can you please get off me?" he answered.

"After everything you've been through don't you ever feel…I don't know…sad?" I asked. He seemed to think about it for a second or two before I felt him shrug.

"Not really," he replied calmly. "Should I?" I was amazed at the nonchalance of his voice. He just didn't let anything bother him.

"Well if you ever need anyone to talk to, I'll be there for you. Because I'm your friend."

"That's great, Alice, now could you _please_ let go of me?" I hesitated; Atrum was so soft and comfy that I didn't want to let him go. "Um, Alice?" I reluctantly released Atrum and took a step back. He shivered and glanced back at me. "Since you know, I was wondering if you could explain a few things." I nodded vigorously, eager to help.

"Of course, what do you want to know about?"

"Well, there is one thing in particular that no one's really explained to me."

"Okay. What is it?"

"What's a trainer?"

Oh boy. This would take a while

(-*-)

**Camazotz**

Away from the bustle of the group, I lurked beneath the trees and watched. It was amusing to watch our trainers struggle so valiantly at setting up camp. Sam had no experience whatsoever and Cassie seemed like she knew everything in theory but was learning it wasn't so easy in practice. They had finally managed to light a small fire. Sam was blowing frantically on the burning embers and Cassie was unpacking everything to find some food. Tempest was still fast asleep – lounging on a rock and snoring loudly as a trickle of drool fell from his open mouth. Alice and Atrum were talking and Midnight was patrolling the edge of the camp.

I couldn't see Rose anywhere. I knew I couldn't keep avoiding him – I was going to have to talk to him eventually. He was just so convinced Atrum was the enemy that I didn't know if I would be able to convince him otherwise. I glanced over at the aforementioned absol. He wore his usual expression of goodhearted confusion as Alice tried explaining something to him with hand signals. He nodded, paused then shook his head provoking what I assumed was a groan from Alice.

I didn't listen in on their conversation.

I understood Rose's suspicions. I mean, they all made sense – at least on their own. But when you applied them to Atrum…well… There was just something about the absol that made you realise he was incapable of betrayal. He wouldn't be able to understand it; he was like a little child, so innocent. I know there were a lot of things that didn't make sense but I knew I would find out eventually.

After all, the Plot wouldn't allow all those mysteries to remain unsolved. The great thing about being a zubat – one of the only good things – is that you can always trust in the Plot. The only thing is I couldn't explain this to Rose.

Zubat have tried to explain the presence of the fourth wall before – golbat and crobat too – but no one believed us. And why would they? After all what would _you_ do if someone told you? You'd fucking lock them away and never mention it again. It's why in the pokémon world we're treated much the same way you might treat Jehovah's Witnesses: lock the door, don't say anything and pretend we're not here until they leave.

Anyway, I couldn't keep avoiding my friend. I would have to face him…tomorrow. Yeah, tomorrow. I just had to figure out how to avoid him until then. It shouldn't be too-

"Hey, Camazotz!"

-hard… Fuck. I turned and grinned at Rose as he walked towards me.

"Rose," I said with my usual tone of relaxed friendliness. He didn't fall for it though.

"You've been avoiding me," he said.

"What?" I asked, feigning ignorance. "No way, man, I've just been really busy lately. Hey, man, you look good. Have you gotten taller?"

"What are we going to do about Atrum?" he asked. He just couldn't be distracted. I sighed, knowing what I had to do.

"Don't worry, man," I turned around so he couldn't see my expression of guilt and reluctance. "I got a plan, wait here. I just… I just need to get a few things." I flitted over to the mess of items strewn around the campsite. Sam and Cassie crawled through them to find something edible but I ignored them and they ignored me. Well Cassie did. Sam stared at me the whole time – I could hear him sigh with relief as I left.

I just got a few things: an antidote, a potion and the pokéblocks I got off Atrum in chapter eleven. I grabbed some berries and herbs as well. I didn't need that much; the formula was surprisingly simple. I led Rose away from the clearing and into the trees until we reached a hollowed-out tree stump. This was perfect.

I dumped everything on the ground and began. I started with the pokéblocks – throwing them in and grounding them up with a rock until they formed a powder. Then I poured in the potion and tossed a few berries into the mix. Rose stared at me with an expression of confusion.

"What are you-" I interrupted him.

"Have you ever been in love?" My question caught him off guard. He frowned and paused.

"Uh, no," he replied.

"I was once." I told him, while continuing with the concoction. "Her name was Cruzita. She was wonderful, man. I adored her. And my best friend, Carlos, the three of us used to hang out all the time. I mean, we were totally inseparable… Until he came…" My voice grew cold, distant. "Juan, an up-and-coming drug lord. He was ruthless, he was ambitious, and he had a plan. He'd invented a new drug. The real name is ten syllables long, but on the street, they called it _the catalyst_. Juan would have made a fortune off it, seriously; the sounds, the sights, the smells, it stimulated your senses like nothing else."

"But it was some bitch to create. I mean, obviously, he had to operate under the radar. Make sure the cops never caught on. All he had was a warehouse. And in those conditions – indoors, warm, no ventilation – the fumes from the mix could turn you blind." Rose was enraptured now. He was staring at me, listening intently to my tale. I was always told I had a gift for storytelling.

"Which brings us back to me and my friends. 'Cos zubat, well, we can't go blind, can we?" I laughed, but there was no happiness in it – just bitterness and pain. "So Juan decided he'd catch a whole bunch of zubat, and let them do the work." I let out a sigh. "Over half the gang was taken. Almost fifty zubats missing and no one noticed. D'ya know why that is, Rose?" He shook his head from side to side, but his eyes never broke off me. "It's because _no one_ cares about zubat! They hate us! They fear us! They ignore us! They cut down swathes of us, just to level up their fucking pokémon!" I let it all out: my bitterness, my resentment, my agony. I think it shocked Rose; he fell back a step and stared up at me, wide eyes. "And you know, man, I bet if a load of skitty went missing it'd make the fucking news." I shook my head and paused for a moment to throw in the contents of an antidote.

"But anyway," I continued, "Juan captured us and had us make his drug. I'm not goin' to lie to you, Rose; it was…" My voice cracked as memories I had tried so hard to banish from my mind came crashing back. "…it was horrible. We couldn't go blind, but the fumes still affected us. We died slowly, trapped in that hell-hole. But the worst part was; we were hooked. A few escaped every day, but most of 'em just came crawling back. Juan and his goons didn't care either way. After all, we were just zubat; we were replaceable.

"A year was about the longest anyone lasted. It wasn't just the fumes either, the guards too. Humans and pokémon, beating us, keeping us in check, keeping us working… It's a fucking miracle anyone made it out alive."

"It took a year and a half, but the cops finally found out about the operation. They raided the warehouse; Juan got himself killed and the supply was confiscated. Nobody knew what to do with a hundred drug-addicted zubat, so they just set us free. Me, Cruzita and Carlos all got out alive, but things only went downhill from there. We knew how to made the drug, but we also knew that we had to get clean.

"I'm tellin' you, man, going cold turkey like that, it was torture. But eventually, all the pain paid off; we stopped. But we weren't the same as before. The time we'd spent in hell had change who we were – especially Cruzita. She was jaded. The memories of what we'd seen had twisted everything she had meant to me… I tried to stay, Rose, I really did!" My voice rose, my tone turned defensive, my guilt shone through. "Even her voice, it was like talking to another person… I didn't love her anymore."

"So when I met Cassie, I though I'd been given a second chance. I thought I could ignore my pain and my memories and start a new life. But leaving everything behind, it just made the memories stronger and the pain sharper. And the cravings _never __stopped_!" Sweat covered my body and I was shaking violently. Images I never wanted to see again invaded by mind, and assaulted my thoughts. I could hear the voices, smell the fumes, feel the powder on my wings. It just wouldn't stop.

"_You abandoned our gang you traitor!" "You dead to us, man!" _

_"So that's it then?" "You're just leaving?"_

_"The bodies are starting to pile up, Juan." "What are you worried about? They're just zubats. We can get more." _

_"Come back!" _

_"I love you!" "I hate you!"_

_"DON'T LEAVE ME!"_

My wings tensed up and I slumped to the ground, leaning against the trunk of the tree as I sobbed and coughed with no eyes to cry. Rose – clearly uncomfortable and unsure what to do – spoke again.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked. For the first time, I turned my head to him.

"Because I need to tell someone, man," I told him. The tremors in my speech were gone, replaced by a broken deadpan tone. I gave a weary sigh and fluttered up to fill the empty antidote container with the liquid within. "And because if this works you won't remember any of it." Rose frowned, confused.

"Huh?" I held up the antidote and sprayed it into Rose's face. He blinked and coughed as he stumbled back. I leaned forward in anticipation. This is where is got tricky. Every pokémon reacted differently and you had to fiddle with the dosage to get the reaction you wanted.

Rose suddenly went rigid and his eyes widened. He began to shake and both eyes twitched – not in unison. Finally he looked me straight in the eye and screamed,

"I CAN SEE THE PLOT!"

"Oh fuck, man, that's not good," I muttered. Rose screamed something unintelligible – the written equivalent of which I can only assume to be,

"MIRNSSING WETILNOL RU. MISSIN RETU G NO RN WILL. L REGTMISSI.N WILUNORN" or thereabouts. I may have missed a few vowels but you get the basic idea. He jumped a foot into the air and ran off into the trees. I groaned and muttered under my breath as I grabbed the drug-filled antidote container and flew off after him. I had to find him before he did something stupid.

(-#-)

"This can't be food," Cassie protested vehemently, staring down at the contents of the bag. "We can't be expected to eat this." Sam examined a grey substance resembling a cookie that crumbled in his hand.

"Is this supposed to be soup?" he wondered aloud. "I need a pot and…and boiling water." He glanced around the half-constructed wreckage of the would-be camp and crawled around to find a pot.

"The minute we get back to civilisation," Cassie mom/mumbled, oblivious to Sam, "I am writing a formal letter of complaint to…" She quickly examined the package of apparently-food. "…Vader Industries." She finally looked down – wincing at the mess of objects strewn around the ground in a haphazard fashion and obviously _not_ alphabetized as she would have liked. She tried to move and tripped over one of the bags, landing on Sam.

"Ow!"

"Sorry!" They hastily scrambled away from each other, hiding their embarrassment. Cassie tripped over again and looked down to find a frying pan. She let out a frustrated groan and slumped to the ground, crossing her legs and trying to find a comfortable position amidst the clutter of the items and the coarse ground littered with pointy sticks and stones.

"This isn't what I thought it would be like," she muttered. Sam sat down next to her, wincing as he sat on something sharp.

"Maybe not," he said, "but we'll get better." He smiled at her. "It's the first time we've done this. There's bound to be room for improvement. We just need practice." He paused and seemed to consider what he had said. "I mean with being trainers." They both looked uncomfortable for a moment before he broke the silence again. "Anyway, like I was saying: we'll get better." Cassie's lip curled into a familiar scowl and she rubbed her temples.

"What did I do _now_?" Sam asked, obviously annoyed.

"Do have to be so damn optimistic all the time?" she spat out. "Because it's getting really annoying."

"Well, I'm sorry I don't have the aura of cynicism you carry with you all the time!"

"At least I have personality!"

"So do I!"

"Yeah, right! No one can be that damn nice every day and still have layers! You just can't keep all that stuff bottled up like that – you'd explode!"

"Just because I don't have emotional problems doesn't mean I'm bland!"

"Sam, your leg's on fire."

"You're just trying to change the subject."

"No, you're standing in the fire."

"Oh," he muttered, looking down. "Darn."

(-#-)

**Alice**

"Wait, bug beats dark?" Atrum exclaimed with intense confusion. "How does that make sense?"

"I-I don't know. Maybe because bugs can see in the dark…?" He didn't look satisfied and shot me a look of disbelief.

"That seems crazy. And another thing: if there's a dark type, why isn't there a light type? And also, what's the deal with normal? How is normal different to fighting?"

"Um…"

"Actually, how is fighting strong against anything? It really hurts to hit rocks and I'm guessing it hurts even more to hit steel. And why are they weak against psychic?"

"Uh…"

"And how is it that leer can miss? And bubbles can hurt?"

You think that's bad, man?" I heard Camazotz say, startling us both as he appeared from nowhere with a vial of antidote. "I don't get how you can use dig when surfing. Or better yet, where we even are."

"I thought we were in Sinnoh," Atrum commented, confused by Camazotz's comment. He glanced at me to make sure that was where we were and I nodded.

"Well, yeah, man, but where is that? Japan? Is there even a Japan in this? 'Cos I'm seriously confused as to how much of this is based on reality. I mean there's evidence for it, since Fantina is French and stuff, I just wish they'd make it a little clearer." Atrum looked so confused I thought his head might explode. Camazotz seemed to notice this though, and changed the subject. "Has anyone seen Rose?" We both shook our heads in unison and provoked what I guessed was a swear from Camazotz. "Well, if you see him, let me know."

"THE RED SUN RISES!" There was a long silence after that – finally being broken by Camazotz.

"Never mind," he said and flew off briskly in the direction of the scream. We both stayed silent for a moment.

"Well," Atrum said at last, "that was rather strange." Panicked shouts drew our attention away towards the campsite. I gasped and turned to Atrum.

"Sam's on fire!" I said. He blinked. I frowned and stared at him until he sighed.

"Fine, fine," he said begrudgingly and traipsed over to Sam and Cassie. He stopped on the way and pushed Tempest off the rock he was on. The slowpoke stretched and yawned.

"Ah, what a delightful- oh bother, my trainer's on fire." Tempest trotted over to Sam and the others, passing Midnight on the way. I looked away as she approached me but she sat down beside me. She gave me a friendly smile and said,

"Hi, Alice. How are you?" I ignored her – still looking away – but she pressed on with a note of concern in her voice. "Is there something wrong?" I felt a rush of irritation and turned to face her.

"Why?" I asked angrily. "It's not like you care!" Midnight drew back, looking hurt.

"How could you think that?" she asked. A sudden scowl appeared on her face. "I _knew_ he's been turning you against me. You shouldn't listen to what Atrum says." I let out a frustrated groan and rubbed my temple. I loved Midnight but she could be so unbelievably stubborn and competitive. She looked at me concerned. "What's wrong?" I stood up and faced her.

"You're what's wrong!" I told her. With anyone else I wouldn't be able to stand up like this but I could always be myself with Midnight; I knew she wouldn't judge me for anything I did. "You and your stubbornness and paranoia. Atrum isn't trying to turn anyone against you or take over the group. And if you spent five minutes with him you would realise that!" My voice dropped lower. "He's sweet and nice and wouldn't do anything to hurt you."

"So him almost killing that riolu, that was what?" she asked. "An accident?" I opened my mouth to answer but paused.

"Well, that…that wasn't…it wasn't his fault."

"Alice, I just want to protect you."

"That didn't stop you from ignoring me for weeks!" Now it was Midnight's turn to stutter.

"Well I…I mean it…that wasn't what I…" She looked down, obviously ashamed and avoiding my gaze. I sat down next to her.

"We used to be such great friends, Midnight," I said sadly. "Can't we be like that again?" She sighed and looked back up at me.

"You're right," she said. "I've let Atrum get between us."

"Couldn't you just _maybe_ give a chance?" Midnight groaned.

"Fine," she finally said. "I promise I'll never let us grow apart again and… I'll give Atrum a chance." I split into a grin and hugged Midnight. She held me tightly in return and I closed my eyes in my friend's embrace. We were friends again. And it felt great.

Just like old times.

(-*-)

**Camazotz**

Rose's cries led me away from the campsite in a direction that may or may not have been east. I heard chatter and headed towards the source: a cave we had passed through briefly on the way here. The familiar bounce of echolocation alerted me to a gang of zubat loitering around the entrance. I fluttered over to them and asked,

"Hey, man, have you-"

"Мы не можем помочь Вам." I paused for a few moments with my mouth hanging open slightly, not sure how to respond.

"Oh…uh, sure, right. Thanks, man."

"Почему - Вы мексиканец?" At that point I honestly don't know why I found it surprising to discover a group of Russian zubat. With no other option left to me, I gulped and began to fly towards the more densely forested part of the route where the canopy of leaves probably left the whole place dark. The presumed lack of light didn't bother me for obvious reasons. The trees grew close together, their thick branches reaching out like twisted tendrils to grab any intruding trainers. This was not the realm of humans; they were not welcome here.

Nor were zubat for that matter.

As I flew deeper into the woods, the sounds and smells of the area grew stronger. The cries and shouts of unidentified pokémon echoed around the trees, and the familiar scent of a flower I couldn't remember the name of hung in the air.

"¡Ay!" I yelled as an acorn dropped on my head. I heard the starly snicker and I felt the usual laceration of my heart. I quickened my pace, keeping my face cast downwards, and tried to ignore the other pokémon.

Eventually the trees thinned out, revealing a small clearing with a pond in the centre. Finding myself away from the judgmental sneers of the other pokémon, I let out a sigh of relief. I came to a stop in mid-air – kept aloft by the beating of my wings. My ears fluttered back and forth as I listened for any sign of-

"THAT IS NOT JUNG'S CONCEPT!"

-Rose. Never mind.

Rose leaped at me and bit down on one of my wings. I yelled out a curse as I flipped over and hit the wet grass face first. The antidote vial spun out of my grasp and landed some distance away. I spit out a glob of dirt and turned over to see (well, sort of) Rose staring down at me.

"DON'T GO INTO THE SANCTUM!" he screamed. "EVIL LIES IN THE SANCTUM!"

Needless to say, this wasn't the reaction I had been hoping for.

I opened my mouth and shrieked out a supersonic. It didn't have any affect – even at close range – so I swung one wing up and knocked him over onto his back. I pressed my wings into the ground and pushed myself up into the air. Rose got to his feet and appeared to be vibrating while muttering numbers under his breath.

"One, two, four, five, six, one, three, four, five, six, two, three, four, five, six, one, two, three, four, six, one, two, three, four, five." I knew another dose would probably snap him back to normal. I just needed to get the vial.

I tucked in my wings and barrelled through the air – crashing into Rose full force and sending him flying. He crashed into a psyduck standing by the edge of the clearing. The psyduck screamed in a high-pitched feminine way and ran off into the forest. I paused as I watched it leave, suddenly overcome by a feeling of _déjà vu. _

Shaking my head I returned to the matter at hand and swooped over to Rose while he flailed about on the ground. I grabbed the antidote on the descent and aimed it at him, spraying the contents into Rose's face. I tossed the vial away and landed in front of Rose. He went completely rigid and his eyes turned three-hundred-and-sixty degrees – in different directions.

He snorted and moaned as his body began to relax. He blinked a few times and his eyes took on a hazy appearance.

"Where am I?" he asked groggily, looking confused. I let out a sigh of relief despite feeling conflicted and guilty.

"You're in Sinnoh with your friends and trainers," I told him slowly. "My name's Camazotz. Cam-a-zotz."

"Camazotz," he muttered. "Yeah…right." It wasn't amnesia as such, just a state of confusion in which you could be easily influenced. Kind of like hypnotism, but with drugs. Rose started to glance around him with that dazed expression.

"Rose," I began, bringing his attention back to me, "Atrum is your best friend and you trust him completely." I paused. "And you should really try to be less of a coward when it comes to battling, man." Rose nodded and I noticed he was beginning to get more lucid. The effects of the drug should wear off in a few more minutes.

I smiled as best I could at him and said, "You should probably get back to the others now."

"Okay."

"Wrong way, Rose."

"Okay." Suddenly, Rose stopped and turned back to face me. "She can't be trusted," he said, then suddenly snapped back to reality. "I don't know why I just said that." Still looking confused and wobbling slightly, he turned around and headed back towards the camp.

With the ordeal over, the guilt washed over me in full force, bringing with it the nagging thoughts and feelings and memories and voices.

_"You dead to us, man!"_

I brainwashed my friend. He trusted me and I betrayed him. And I had made it, after I swore never to do so again. I was losing my morals, my standards. I was betraying my friends. I was still a weakling zubat. And I could still feel the cravings.

_"The bodies are starting to pile up, Juan." "What are you worried about? They're just zubats. We can get more."_

"It's too much," I muttered as I slumped to the ground. I could feel the grass beneath me; soft and slightly damp from the pond.

_"So that's it then? You're just leaving?"_

They were subtle but insistent and seemed to be growing in intensity. Especially since the vial was so, so close.

_"You abandoned our gang you traitor!"_

It was just lying on the ground – not a metre away. I could smell it and the cravings, the want, the need just kept growing and growing and growing and I couldn't make them stop.

_"Don't leave me!"_

And I couldn't make them stop.

_"I love you!"_

And I couldn't make them stop.

_"I hate you!"_

And I needed them to stop. I needed everything to stop. The cravings drove me crazy and I couldn't think of anything else. The memories were worse than ever and had invaded my mind constantly with no way for me to banish them from my thoughts. I couldn't stand the guilt over leaving Cruzita and Carlos, making the drug again and brainwashing Rose.

The pain was killing me.

And I needed it to stop.

_"You abandoned our gang you traitor!"_

_"So that's it then?"_

I raised one shaking wing and placed it forward, repeating the process with the other wing.

_"You're just leaving?" _I slowly dragged myself forward.

_"The bodies are starting to pile up, Juan." "What are you worried about? They're just zubats. We can get more."_

Emotion welled up inside me and knew it was a mistake to do this.

_"You dead to us, man!"_

I knew that but I just couldn't take it anymore.

_"I love you!"_

It was all too much.

_"I hate you!"_

_"Don't leave me!"_

It was too much.

_"You know how much I hate zubats."_

It… It was…

Too…much…

(-*-)

**Alice**

"Are they making progress?" Tempest asked.

"I honestly can't tell." Atrum replied.

"Well, I dare say Sam isn't on fire any more. That's good."

"Meh. I guess." I edged over to where Tempest and Atrum were sitting. They examined Sam and Cassie's efforts from a safe distance and lounged at the far edge of the campsite where the clutter of items thinned out and met the tree line. I sat down between the two of them but stayed closer to Atrum. The three of us sat in comfortable silence beneath a tree and watched Sam and Cassie flail about over a fire carrying various objects.

"What are they trying to do?" I quietly asked Atrum.

"They're cooking." I frowned and looked back.

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure."

Rose wandered over and blocked our view of our trainers. He glanced around with a dazed expression on his face and waddled over to Atrum.

"You are my best friend and I trust you completely," he said.

"Um," Atrum stammered, looking confused and horrified, "that's…great?" Tempest's ever-present grin grew so wide it looked like it might split apart.

"What a heart-warming show of friendship and affection, dear chap," he said heartily. Rose nodded and sat down next to Tempest. He paused and sniffed the air.

"Is there something burning?" he asked.

"They're cooking," Tempest, Atrum and I all answered in unison. Rose nodded and gave a knowing "Ah" before falling silent. I heard wings beating and glanced up to see Camazotz saunter over.

"Hey, what's happenin', man?" he asked, swaying slightly and bobbing his head. Something about his demeanour seemed strange so I asked,

"Is everything okay?"

"'Course, man," he answered in the most relaxed tone of voice I've ever heard. "Believe me, I never been better… Hey, what I smellin' that's burnin'?"

"They're cooking," Rose, Tempest, Atrum and I all answered in unison. Camazotz tilted his head towards the source of the smell and nodded. He fluttered over to us and grabbed a low-lying branch on the tree, tucking in his wings and hanging upside down above us. I heard someone approach again and glanced up to see Midnight.

She stood awkwardly in front of us. She grimaced and turned to Atrum, sighing with acceptance, as she asked,

"Do you mind if I sit here?" Her statement drew the shocked stares of the entire group. Except for Camazotz who seemed to be singing a song above us, oblivious to what was happening.

"Um, sure," Atrum replied, still shocked. He edged over a little to make room for Midnight and she sat down between us.

"See," I said to her with a smile, "was that so hard?"

"Yes," she replied with gritted teeth. I laughed and we all turned our attention back to our trainers.

Cassie frowned, turning to Sam with a pointed glare and her hands on her hips. "I thought you said you could cook."

"I can," Sam protested but paused, "I just need a kitchen and actual ingredients to do it." Cassie scowled and grabbed the pot off him.

"I'll do it myself," she said but hesitated. "Um…" She started putting in various ingredients apparently at random. Watching her I couldn't help but frown and shake my head.

"She shouldn't be mixing oran and sitrus berries like that," I mom/mumbled. "The flavours don't compliment each other." I suddenly noticed everyone was staring was staring at me. I nervously tugged at my feathers and looked down at the ground, leaning closer to Midnight.

"Why, Alice, I had no idea you were so well versed in the culinary arts," Tempest commented. He sounded impressed and Atrum spoke up.

"Oh yeah," he said. "She's great at all that stuff." I blushed.

"Well, I don't know about that, I mean- Cassie no that's poisonous!" I kicked back my legs and leaped up through the air. I swiped away the berry as I swooped past Cassie and threw it away as I landed. I glanced back up at Cassie to see she had already dropped in three.

I sighed and jumped up the grab the pot. It was half my size but didn't weigh that much and I lightened it further by pouring the contents on to the ground. It was partially liquid and a sickening green colour – squelching as it soaked into the ground. I scanned the chaotic mess around me and darted through it to grab a bottle of water.

A scratch of a claw in the right place left a small hole in the side and a steady stream of water trickled out. I rinsed the pot with it and started shuffling through the various foods and berries gathered by Sam and Cassie. I worked fast but methodically, using both hands and legs to handle the ingredients. I tossed a few berries up into the air – dicing them with my claws and moving the pot so they fell in with the rest.

It was like a dance; moving gracefully through the mess, grabbing what I needed and throwing them into the mixture as I cut and crushed and mixed together. When I was cooking it was like I was the only one there. No one else existed to mock me or make me feel small. Right now I was in my element.

It was a relatively simple dish and didn't take long for me to finish. Darting over to Sam and Cassie, I lifted up my arms and presented the dish – a cold soup. The subtle scent of berries wafted from the purple liquid.

Then I was finished and suddenly became aware of everyone staring at me. My self-conscious side took over and I whimpered, casting my gaze downwards. I felt the weight of the pot lifted and gave a quick glance up to see Sam and Cassie examining it.

Sam looked down at it and inhaled deeply. "That smells… pretty good." Placing the pot down, Sam rummaged through the mess of the campsite and found two clean spoons. Not bothering to dish it out, the two hungrily dipped into the pot and tasted the mix.

"Mmm." Cassie grinned and quickly downed several more spoonfuls. "Alice, this is delicious!"

Sam nodded in agreement, and the two of them continued to down my dish. The others soon ran in to get in on it.

"Is it that good?" Atrum asked. "I want some!"

"I say, I certainly wouldn't mind trying a bit either."

Camazotz chuckled to himself. "Yeah man, I wanna chow down on that!"

However, as everyone grouped in, they found Sam and Cassie had already cleaned the pot. Everyone stared at them in disbelief.

"Um…" Sam glanced around, embarrassed.

"What?" Cassie asked defensively crossing her arms and turning away from the irritated gazes of the pokémon. "It was really nice." Everyone looked back at me. It was so sudden, I was startled and couldn't help casting my gaze back down to my feet again.

"Do you think to could ask her to… you know, do that thing again." I heard Sam ask. I glanced up to see Cassie shoot him a disapproving glare.

"She has ears, you know," she told him. "Ask her yourself." Then, I felt a weight on my shoulder. The contact made me look up and I found myself looking into Sam's dark blue eyes. He was smiling nervously at me, like he was about to ask the world of me. I winced and backed away by reflex but gulped and stood my ground.

"Hey… Alice," he began, but hesitated for moment before finally just spilling it out. "That gorgeous… whatever it was. Soup, stew, I don't care. All I know is I haven't had anything that good in a long time." His hand suddenly retreated from my shoulder, but I was more than surprised when he put his hands together like he was about to start praying, but instead of worshiping some god, he was appealing to me.

"Please," he asked in a small voice.

For a moment, I was in shock. Drained of everything, unsure how to react to the wide expectant eyes of my trainer, an expression which when I did look around was matched by all my friends too.

Then the vacuum was suddenly filled. With pride. Pride in the fact that I was needed and I found it a bewildering sensation.

Without a second thought, I walked over to the pot and began the process once again, selecting the berries as I saw fit and tossing them into the pot. Once again I performed the spontaneous dance, mirroring my earlier movements perfectly. My hands and feet were whirling around more confidently this time since I knew where the end result was headed.

(-#-)

Wearing a curious expression on his face, Camazotz floated above the mess of green tarp. He mumbled something and flew over to view it from another angle before mumbling again.

"Interesante," he muttered as he scrutinised the tent.

"What is it?" Midnight asked as she wandered over. "Do you know how to fix this?"

"Fuck yeah, man," he shouted, much louder than necessary.

"What? How?" Camazotz fell silent and tilted his head, seeming to consider the question.

"Maybe, because of how many different authors worked on this chapter, the plot has been weakened. The strain of over three different writing styles may have caused a temporary rift in the continuity of the story - thereby allowing me to breach normal literary conventions and do things that have been contradicted by other sections of the story... Or fuck, maybe it's just 'cos I'm high. Grab the guy rope. Atrum, get over here, man!" Atrum tumbled over to them and grabbed the tent in his teeth while Midnight hauled the rope as per Camazotz's instructions.

After only a few minutes the tent was up and Camazotz fluttered off, muttering something about colours. Midnight and Atrum exchanged a smile. It was only for a moment and Midnight's expression hardened instantly, but it was there. Atrum grinned.

(-#-)

Sam and Cassie sat against a tree, each with a bowl in hand. This time they ate slowly, savouring the taste. About half way through his bowl, Sam spoke up for the first time since he'd started to eat.

"Did you know Alice could cook like that?" he asked. Cassie shook her head.

"No, but I think I know where she gets it from," she answered. Her head then tilted up slightly, like it would help the memories flow. "My Mom used to bake and cook all the time. I never stuck around to see how the food was made. I was always out in the garden or somewhere like that. I only just ate what was there when I got back, though it seems Alice picked up a few things." Silence followed, but it was a quaint, comfortable silence. It lasted about five minutes and by that stage Sam was the one to crack it.

"Do you think any other trainers have their meal prepared for them?" he asked. Cassie shrugged.

"I heard once a gym leader abandoned his gym to be a chef for this trainer and his pokémon," she did say with a chuckle. "Does it matter?" she asked, not really caring what his answer was. She was too mellowed out at this point to care, so she just grabbed the wooden mallet lying nearby and tossed it at Sam. "Just fix the guy ropes, would you?"

Sam just gave her small, flicker of a smile before turning his attention to the tent.

"Was that tent there before?" Sam wondered out loud.

Bewildered by this question, Cassie whipped her head around and was baffled to see what Sam had seen. The confusion subsided slightly when she noticed their pokémon were gathered beside the tent, all gathered together for the first time that she'd seen. A single idea came to her, but she shelved it for a minute as she went through all other possibilities. When all other possibilities consisted of 'I set it up when I wasn't looking' and 'A wizard did it,' she fell on her back-up plan.

"Hey," she began to say to Sam, "You don't think they…" But before she could go any further she was stopped by Sam's low laughs. She frowned at him as he sat down and laid back on the grass.

"You know what?" he told her, "I say don't question a good thing." Cassie opened her mouth to argue but stopped and slowly smiled.

(*)

It was laid out buffet-style with various different foods scattered throughout the middle of the camp. Alice danced and hummed as she prepared each new meal with a confident smile on her face. She watched the others as they lounged around and talked.

"I didn't know you were from Johto," Midnight exclaimed with the friendly exuberance that she rarely showed lately.

"Oh, yes," Tempest replied, puffing out cheeks and looking proud. "I do remember the marvelous times back then."

"Fuck man, I can't believe you don't know how to play rock, paper, scissors," Camazotz exclaimed with genuine surprise.

"Well, I was... um... that is to say, my trainer, the one who, uh, trained me... before now. He didn't play a lot of games... Tempest, what did I say his name was?"

"I do believe it was Jesse Filligan, dear chap."

"Right, yeah. We had some good times, me and Jenny."

"Jesse."

"Right, I meant Jesse. That's what I meant."

"How 'bout you, Rose? You wanna have a game?"

"Neither of us have arms. How did you intend for us to play?"

"Why you gotta be so pessimistic all the time?" The friendly teasing was interrupted by smiles and laughs. The food was eaten and stories were told. Camazotz told good jokes while Midnight told bad jokes. Alice joined them and there was a point where they randomly broke into a chorus of something that sounded a lot like Queen. Sam and Cassie retired without a single argument as the sun set over the forest and the pokémon eventually fell fast asleep too.

The night wouldn't last and the feeling of companionship would end. They knew that all too well.

So they made the most of it.


	16. Conflagration

_Beta-Reader: Onlinewarrior094_

* * *

**Chapter 16: Conflagration**

* * *

**My name is Rose – which is a very manly name – and this is my story.**

When we reached Floroama Town it was on fire.

Maybe I should back up a little for you. After all, I'd _hate_ for anyone to get confused.

Yeah, I'm the sarcastic one, remember?

(-*-)

I woke up first – grass pokémon are usually early risers. And by first I mean about two hours before anyone bothered to grace the universe with their presence. It's a natural reflex for me to wake up as soon as the sun ascends above the horizon. The rest of the party however, was either a pokémon used to darkness or a slowpoke that could sleep through the rapture so I was left alone for a while.

Oh, and the humans of course. Can't forget them.

My eyes shot open and I inhaled a breath of fresh forest air. Words could not describe my enthusiasm to be away from the city. The fumes and smells were bad enough but the worst part was the _lack_ of smells. The scent of pine, the gentle waft of flowers. They were all gone. Replaced by dull and dreary buildings that all seemed identical – no matter what the humans claimed.

And there were _so_ many humans. Don't get me wrong: I'm not racist or anything and I've got nothing against humans. Sure, they're strange and (as far as I can tell) homicidal, incompetent and self-destructive but as long as they stay far away from me then I was fine.

Notice the word "was". Past tense. Obviously that was going to have to change now that I had a trainer. (I'm blaming Tempest for that.)

I shuddered and blinked away the momentary grogginess – quickly getting to my feet. Most of the other pokémon were nearby, stretched out asleep in various uncomfortable-looking positions in the centre of the campsite. There was a greyish-green tent at either side of the small clearing where each trainer slept. I didn't understand why they couldn't just use the one tent but humans think so differently to pokémon I doubt I'd understand.

I turned to Sam's tent and shuffled over to it with my useless, tiny excuses for legs. He looked like he was being eaten by a giant blue worm but I guess that was just how humans slept. I peered inside to examine my trainer and found I was roughly the same size as his head. This, along with my ability to use the destructive tactic of water sport, practically made me a weapon of mass destruction. Oh, yes, I would strike fear into the hearts of my enemies with my miniscule stature and worthless attacks.

Cower before me or risk mild inconvenience!

Disgusted with myself I wandered off. I didn't even know why it suddenly bothered me; I may not live bravely but I do live continuously and that was always fine for me before now. I just suddenly felt ashamed of my cowardice. I never even used to _call_ myself a coward. I was just "careful" or even "smart".

I hoped this newfound want of courage would wear off but I doubted it. It was just another enormous change I'd have to deal with. Nothing was the same for me anymore; I was a trainer pokémon, I had team-mates, my philosophy for life was apparently inadequate. The only thing I was sure of anymore was that Atrum was my best friend and I trusted him completely.

Though I'm not sure why…

(-*-)

I don't know if you have much experience with someone with no understanding of that glorious language of sarcasm. If you haven't, then allow me to use this exchange to demonstrate it.

"Why, Rose, you're up rather early."

"Wow, Tempest. I never noticed."

"You didn't? How strange. I would have thought you would have noticed when you woke up." He said it with absolute sincerity. I sighed and glanced around. The camp was disbanded now and the tents were being stuffed into bags that seemed smaller than they were. Everyone was packing up in that semi-lucid state of drowsiness that was so common in the morning.

Predictably enough, the power of love and friendship affecting everyone yesterday had obviously not continued through the night. Midnight and Atrum were avoiding each other like the plague, Sam and Cassie were already arguing about something trivial and Alice and Tempest were trying to get everyone to get along while Camazotz fluttered around staring at random objects. He seemed different after last night – more relaxed. That and his tendency to grin, giggle and mumble in Spanish alerted my keen senses that something was wrong. It didn't, however, affect my ability to not care.

"No, no, no," I heard Cassie mutter a few kilometres above me, "that's all wrong."

"Right, of course," Sam replied sarcastically, "_I'm _the one that's wrong!" I'm sure everyone was interested in what they were bickering about now. And by "everyone", I mean "everyone else". Not me.

As we finished packing and left, I fell into my usual group with Tempest and Camazotz. I figured Midnight was doing her usual guard-dog routine with Cassie and I didn't really care that much about the others.

"So, where are we going?" I asked as the three of us fell into step (except for Camazotz who was flying haphazardly next to us).

"I believe it's known as Floaroma Town," Tempest answered with the usual implacable jolliness.

"Yeah, man," Camazotz mumbled. "It like flower-topia." Huh, flowers. I couldn't help but be intrigued by the prospect.

"So have you been there before?" I asked.

"No but I'm sure it's positively marvellous!"

"No way, man. I stick to the cave." I think you can figure out who said what. Without warning I was rudely interrupted by Sam's voice.

"You're up, Rose!" he yelled down at me. I looked up at him quizzically and asked, in a very dignified and intelligent way,

"Say whuh?" My trainer pointed and I turned my little body to see another human nearby. He was male I think and wore a ridiculous red outfit with a wooden stick. I felt my usual reluctance-slash-terror at the thought of battling. I had to fight not to turn metaphorical-tail and run for the not-so-metaphorical-hills. But there was something else too – a different emotion. Like a single tree in a storm it rose up amidst my fear and stood tall.

That's an awful metaphor but my point still stands.

An unfamiliar sense of excitement, of courage of… dare I say it… a willingness to actually fight. I gulped, stretched the few portions of my body I could and stepped up. We faced each other in the calm and silent grass. I narrowed my eyes and sneered as the human trainer grabbed a pokéball and…

And all my confidence evaporated. I gave a whimper and took a few steps back.

"Um…" I muttered, glancing up at my opponent and future victor of the battle. "I surrender?" The gyarados rumbled. "No luck, huh? Crap."

I hate gyarados.

(-*-)

I woke up some time later with a mildly bitter taste in my mouth. Bitter because I had lost. Well, actually it was just bitter but the appropriateness isn't lost on me.

"How are you feeling, Rose?" I heard Tempest ask as I somehow managed to roll sideways to my feet.

"Never better," I muttered and turned away before I could hear him answer.

We got in a few more battles and I even won a couple of them (though the memory of that gyarados still infuriated me) but I noticed that Sam would always surrender if Tempest and I were both knocked out. Now Atrum is my best friend and I trust him completely so I was a little annoyed. Not to mention confused; from what I had seen in the building back at the city, Atrum was a great fighter. It didn't make sense to me but, then again, I don't presume to understand why humans do the stupid things they do.

An eerie sense of foreboding fell upon the group and we all stopped in our tracks. Camazotz didn't though and flew into a tree.

"I'm okay, man," he told us but no one listened. Midnight frowned and raised her nose, sniffing the air a few times before bounding ahead. We all took after her – some more slowly than others. I groaned as Tempest and I cleared the tree-line and emerged on the other side.

"No one said there'd be running," I moaned but froze as I glanced up. We were all gazing down from a small hill onto the town below. Which brings me back to my opening statement.

(-*-)

The choking heat of the searing flames enveloped me as I tentatively approached. My eyes were wide and dry; I could literally feel the moisture leaving my body and my outer leaves took on a withered appearance. Shouted statements from Sam or Cassie melted into one long series of yelling – driven incomprehensible by my panic. Within the minds of every grass pokémon is the instinctive fear of fire. It goes breathing, eating, fire is bad. The mere mention of the word could make most grass types shudder. My earlier feelings of enthusiasm for battle had dissipated. There was no courage in this situation – only the overwhelming, paralysing terror.

The town was burning. The flickering flames danced around the buildings and set them alight. A variety of screams and yells filled the air but they were muffled by the stench of smoke and smell of burning that engulfed me. The darkness of the smoke meant everything around me was as if behind a hazy veil.

My breathing had already sped up but now I was hyperventilating. I couldn't see where I was or where anyone else was. The only things I could hear were the shouts of humans and pokémon. The only thing I could feel was the heat of the fire spreading ever closer.

I glanced around – still shaking and terrified. The others were gone – lost in the chaos as my brave idiot of a trainer ran directly into the burning town. I suppose I'm lucky to have a trainer so noble but I just wasn't feeling that right now.

"Is there anyone there?" I screeched. "Help me!" The dry grating noise that emerged from my parched throat sounded very little like my voice. Hearing my rasp just made me panic more. I tried to speak again but ended up coughing. Suddenly I felt myself being lifted up and glanced up to see Sam.

"Are you okay?" he asked with a worried tone. The smoke began to clear and I caught quick glances of pokémon through the shroud of smoke. Tempest and some other water pokémon were dousing the flames under the directions of Cassie. Midnight and the others were directing the very flammable people and pokémon away from the fire.

"Oh, thank God," I muttered and curled up into Sam's clothes. In a few minutes I would remember my masculinity and demand to be put down but for now I was content in the arms of my trainer.

Or, due to my size, the hand of my trainer.

(-*-)

Some time later Sam was talking to some other humans. I poked my head out of the pocket of his garment and glanced around. The smell of smoke still hung in the air but the damage didn't seem to be that great. People and pokémon wandered around with the same look of resignation. They grabbed tools and started to fix the buildings with a sense of monotonous routine.

I frowned and turned my attention upwards where two humans were lauding praise on Sam. He seemed to be enjoying the attention. The phrase "So, I did good then?" was overused a lot. Each time the other human approved his actions it seemed to reassure my trainer.

"This has been happening a lot?" Sam asked in response to some comment. One of the other humans stroked his white beard and exhaled a weary sigh.

"Aye," he muttered. "For about two weeks now. We think it's some rouge fire pokémon. They're not native to these parts though and we don't know how to deal with it. It's pretty powerful."

"What about trainers? Haven't they tried to find it?"

"All the trainers here are pretty weak and mostly have grass or bug types. Any that pass through are on their way to the second gym and aren't very strong. We very rarely get powerful ones visiting. You and your girlfriend are the strongest ones to arrive in about a month." Sam turned red and spluttered.

"She isn't … I'm not… we aren't…"

"Oh, I see," the human said knowingly. He leaned forward and grinned. "Haven't made your move yet, have you?"

"What?"

"Don't worry." He tapped his nose. "I won't tell." I rolled my eyes and groaned. Humans. Why they had to make everything so complicated was beyond me. Pokémon mating rituals are normally composed of the following:

"Hey, you! Want to mate?"

"Why not. I'm bored." That was it. There was no denial, no passive-aggressive attitudes and no jealousy. I was not going to listen to Sam talking about this; it was almost worse than the fire.

Almost. But not quite.

I twisted around and wriggled out of my trainer's pocket, tumbling onto his shoe. I yelled up to let him know I was going and wandered off to see if I could find someone more interesting.

I examined the town as I wandered through. As human settlements went, it seemed fairly small. That being said, it was still big by pokémon standards and gigantic by my standards. It also couldn't be more different to Jubilife. I shuddered to think of the frantic bustle of the city with everyone looking like they were late – stealing glances at the machines on their wrists. The sickening aura of industrialisation hanging thick in the air. The loud booming noises that seemed to emanate from everything that moved and most things that didn't. The towering steel and concrete cages that replaced trees.

But this town… well, I was forced to admit momentary grudging admiration for the humans. The buildings here were small (maybe two or three stories at the most) and made of wood. Every home had flower baskets on the windows and gave the whole town a rustic feel. The roads were more like paths; plain stones on the ground.

I liked this place.

With the fiery stench of burning finally starting to fade the various other scents rose to prominence. I stopped and closed my eyes as I breathed in the fragrance of plants and flowers. I opened my eyes and a passing human tossed me a piece of a poffin as he strolled past carrying a plank of wood. I pounced on the morsel of food and gobbled it up – relishing the tangy bitterness.

I _really_ liked this place.

I heard familiar voices and wandered around to corner. Tempest and Camazotz were with a bunch of other pokémon – the majority of which with grass or bug though I spotted a bidoof and starly too. They were all clustered around and talking. More accurately, there was panicked mumbling and frantic yelps. I waddled over to Camazotz.

"What's going on?" I asked. He rumbled and twisted his head around to stare past my head. He grinned and his fangs glinted.

"Everyone gone crazy, man," he told me.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Camazotz's face took on a sombre expression.

"They all fuckin' terrified," he answered. "This fire pokémon comes every few days and sets things on fire. He burns the buildings in the town, the trees in the meadow, and the flowers in the fields. A few pokémon who got too close had to be hospitalised." I gulped. I could practically feel the heat of the flames once more. The expressions of the other pokémon took on a different appearance now. I glanced around at the crowd of fellow grass types. Nervous twitches and mumbles showed their terror. I felt a pang of sympathy for the terrorised populous of Floaroma Town.

"Has anyone seen it?" I asked Camazotz. He spread one wing and pointed to the edge of the crowd where a single jumpluff huddled by himself. His eyes darted back and forth as he leaned against the wall of a building, shaking madly.

"Wh-" My voice broke. I cleared my throat and tried again. "What did he see?" I managed to wrench my gaze from the pitiful grass type and turned back to Camazotz. He sighed and I noticed he was becoming more lucid.

"He says it was yellow, but with flames; the fires of hell erupting from its back. It wore a stone around its neck and a sneer on its face. It had four limbs and some kind of snout." Camazotz leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "But the eyes were the worst part. They glinted with maniacal lust for torment. They were the eyes of evil." I gulped.

So an evil fire pokémon was tormenting the village for its own sadistic amusement. Wonderful!

I would have said this out loud of course, but I was still absolutely petrified and I didn't want to start stuttering like an idiot.

"S-so w-w-what d-do we d-do?" I asked.

Crap. Camazotz gave a low moan and a shiver.

"I dunno, man," he mumbled, his voice shaking. He gulped and I noticed a few beads of sweat were starting to form on his head. "I can't… I gotta go." He flew away, swaying erratically as he dived behind a building.

My thoughts wandered towards the fire pokémon. Yellow, but with flames. Possibly a numel or a ponyta. It would have to be a very powerful one to cause all this damage. I repeat.

Crap.

(-#-)

**Atrum**

Fire hurts. This may seem obvious to the vast majority of…well, everyone… but how many of you have actually been set on fire? I'm guessing not that many. And those that have are usually ones that have pissed off a pyromaniac. Or are fire-fighters I suppose. Or people who work around hazardous areas. Or people who spontaneously exploded (it's more common than you think).

I know this was going somewhere but I seem to have forgotten what my point was.

Oh well.

(-*-)

A stream of random images flew past, accompanied by the familiar whispering voices.

"_Atrum," _they said seductively,_ "don't trust her…" _I floated helplessly in a veritable hurricane of sounds and pictures while each one passed me by in seconds – not long enough for me to identify them. I saw people and pokémon. I saw my friends. I also saw Sam.

The images suddenly combined, warping together to form one.

A black winged creature stood in a circle of fire and smoke amidst ruined buildings and houses, his outline emphasised against the bright full moon. He flexed and dug his claws into a fallen body below, his breath rumbling as his chest quivered. As he arched his back and roared, the shadows circled around him and enveloped everything in darkness. My vision faded in the crushing oblivion.

I could hear nothing, feel nothing, smell nothing but even so I knew I was not alone. The darkness pulsated, breathed. Two pinpricks of light appeared in the dark like headlights.

Or eyes.

The moment the thought entered my mind the lights blinked out and left me in darkness.

"Atrum!" a voice yelled. My eyes shot open and I winced at the sudden light, turning my head away and blinking. For a few seconds I wasn't sure where I was. Then I noticed I was lying on the floor in the corner of a room and the events of the previous night came back to me – right up to the point when we retired in a hotel paid for by the grateful town inhabitants. The room was mostly empty and the door was wide open.

"Atrum!" the voice yelled again, this time accompanied by shaking.

"Okay," I said back, getting to feet groggily. "I'm up, I'm up. What is it?" Alice stood before with her eyes wide with terror. I suddenly became aware of a tingling in my fur. The heat in the room was sweltering and I was sweating.

"Is it hot in here?" I asked. Alice opened her mouth to answer but a harsh scream interrupted our thoughts. Our heads turned towards the window and I bounded over to it with a feeling of overwhelming dread. Alice darted over too and we both reached it at the same time.

"Oh, damn it," I muttered. The town was alight again and the flames were even more striking now. Their flickering light was compelling and frightening in the absence of all other illumination. The screams and yells were more prominent now and the various pitches and intensities reached my ears like a collage of sounds. I turned my gaze towards Alice and couldn't help but feel shocked. Her feathers drooped so that they trailed on the ground and more sweat ran off her body than seemed possible. She was hunched slightly and shaking wildly – obviously terrified. It took a moment for me to remember that – as an ice type – she would probably be more affected by the fire than I would be. It took another moment for me to commend myself on such a good observation.

I nodded to Alice and tried to smile reassuringly. It came out as more of a grimace though.

"Maybe you should stay in here," I said to her. I didn't want her to get hurt. She seemed to wrestle with the choice for some time but eventually she looked into my eyes and choked out two words.

"I'll come," she said to me in a voice so timid and fearful. We gulped in unison and jumped out the window. It was on the ground floor but I still managed to trip over and land on my face. This was not going to reassure Alice that I was going to protect her – especially since she performed a back flip mid-air and landed gracefully on her feet with her knees bended slightly, supporting herself with one outstretched claw.

I felt a little jealous.

I got to my feet with what dignity I could muster and we both rushed off. The streets were littered with ashes and still-burning wood. The buildings may have looked different before but right then they were all identical – bathed in fire and wreckage. It gave the peculiar feeling that we were running through a maze but going nowhere.

People were frantically grabbing buckets of water with their vulnerable pokémon plodding after them. We did what we could to help where it was possible but quickly moved on. A familiar sound reached my ears and I glanced at Alice. She didn't even look at me before increasing her pace and darting forward. Cassie emerged from behind a corner, holding a rag up to her face and coughing. Alice jumped into her arms and two embraced. Midnight prowled around the corner and joined them. Overcome with relief, I smiled and kept-

"_STOP!" _the whispers bellowed. I obeyed instinctively and froze where I was with my paw outstretched. My ears were ringing but I could still hear well enough to register the house in front of me collapse in a fiery wreck in the centre of the road. If I hadn't stopped…

"_You see, Atrum,"_ the voices muttered alluringly. _"We must work together. You must listen if you want to survive…"_ I gulped. Each time the voices spoke to me they got louder and clearer. At first I had to concentrate just to see if they were speaking to me but now…

Now it was like they were a real being. Like they were alive. I didn't know what this meant but it filled me with trepidation.

Separated from Alice, Cassie and Midnight I was forced to turn around and find another route.

"_Turn left,"_ I heard in my mind. I automatically turned to my left where the fires were weaker. It occurred to me that the voices were trying to lead me away from danger. They also wanted me to leave my friends behind. My expression hardened and I turned around.

"_What are you doing?"_ they asked. I heard something like genuine confusion in their tone. Hearing it gave me a sense of satisfaction though I'm not entirely sure why. I ignored them and turned right, walking down the lane to where the flames were hotter and the smoke hung heavier in the air.

"_Turn back,"_ they told me with urgency and slight irritation. They seemed indignant that anyone could possibly disobey them. _"You're going the wrong way! Go back!"_

Actually, I thought to myself loudly in case the whispers could hear me, I'm going the right way.

It took a few minutes for me to realise that had been a pun.

I rounded the corner and caught a glimpse of something gold running through the flames. I frowned and moved closer to the burning building, ignoring the scorching heat that accompanied the blaze. I peaked around the corner and-

"_DUCK!"_ the voices yelled. This time, I should have listened to them. A stream of red-orange fire erupted from the other pokémon and flew towards me. My eyes went wide and I tried to dodge it but I wasn't fast enough. The searing inferno engulfed me and I felt my skin burn from the blistering heat. I opened my mouth to scream but realised too late that it was a mistake.

The unimaginably hot air forced its way through my mouth and down my throat. My eyes bulged while I coughed and choked as I was overcome with the sensation of my lungs being roasted from the inside out. I acted on impulse and darted sideways but the flames followed me with renewed vigour. I sunk to the ground as the stream of fire dissipated.

Though the attack had ended after a few seconds I still suffered the effects of being set on fire. My fur had taken on a blackened complexion and I just knew some parts of me were still smouldering. I couldn't see though I'm not sure if it was because of the pain or the light.

You know, this was probably what I was talking about earlier.

"_You should have ducked,"_ I heard the voices say.

"Oh, shut up," I mumbled with a voice that sounded like I felt.

I heard a growl and managed to open my ears and turn my head enough to see my attacker. It was a sort of yellowish-golden colour with four limbs and a snout. It was hard to tell among the fire but it looked like there was fire emerging from its tail. It wore a strange necklace which confused me. A fragment of stone was attached to the chain that hung around its neck.

It glared at me and I noticed a peculiar glint in its eyes that seemed familiar. Then it came to me: it was the same glint I had seen in the eyes of the black-winged creature in my dreams.

It opened its mouth and I prepared myself to be set on fire again. Surprisingly, there isn't a lot you can do to prepare for that. Suddenly, a torrent of celestial proportions soared through the air and struck the enemy pokémon in the face. It tried to yell but ended up choking and coughing as it swallowed mouthfuls of water. It sunk to its knees, dripping wet, as the stream of water vanished

I didn't know the meaning of the word back then, but if I did I would have shouted to the heavens "KARMA!"

And also added the word "BITCH!"

The pokémon turned to offer me one last murderous scowl that was almost on par with Cassie's before fleeing into the inferno behind him.

"I say, Atrum," I heard Tempest say. "Are you all right?" I glanced over to see the slowpoke plodding over to me with Camazotz and Rose trailing after him. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Tempest," I muttered. "I seem to be partly on fire. Could you do something about this?" One improvised shower later and I was back on my feet – if a little more crispy than usual.

Tempest was the most calm and confident one among us – for obvious reasons. Camazotz alternated between looking like he didn't know where he was and looking like he didn't care. Rose looked paralysed with fear except for the rapid movements of his eyes. He would shoot out a water sport every few seconds.

"Where are the others?" I asked. Rose managed to do a strange sort of vibrating shake of his head. Tempest had returned to trying to put out the fires around him and was making progress.

"They nearby, man," Camazotz announced loudly. I nodded.

"As soon as they get here," I said, "we'll go after the fire pokémon." Everyone froze. It was like I had poured a bucket of cold water on them – even the hungry flames seemed to stop with surprise. The grin on Tempest's face vanished and he looked at me like he wasn't sure he heard me correctly. Camazotz literally fell out of the sky and hit the ground with swears. Rose twitched and squeaked before shooting yet another water sport. I frowned as I glanced at the others.

"Was it something I said?" I asked.

"Did you… just say you wanted to give chase?" Tempest asked.

"Uh, yeah." The three exchanged a glance and took a deep breath in unison before starting to yell.

"That would be very unwise!"

"The fuck, man? You wanna kill us all?"

"Scary fire!"

"We should stay here and protect the town inhabitants!"

"We just barely fucking survived the last time!"

"Fire scary!" That was all I really understood among the terrified screeches of Rose and the incomprehensible rambling of Camazotz. I couldn't understand them.

"We have to stop him!" I exclaimed. "We're the only ones strong enough and we know where he is!"

"_We're_ the only ones strong enough?" Camazotz asked in disbelief. "We suck, man! We're a zubat, a budew and a slowpoke! You might be La Ponderosa but we'd barely last a minute against that thing!" Rose hadn't yet regained the ability to speak but he nodded vigorously in agreement.

"On our own, yeah, we kind of suck," I was forced to admit, "but when we, you know, work together we can do so much… more! It's… it's uh… it's just like back in Jubilife when we beat the mystery organisation. On our own we're not impressive – not impressive at all really. I mean just look at us." I turned to Rose. "You barely have the courage to fight and when you do you pretty much always lose." I turned to Tempest. "Despite being so happy and optimistic you're not a great battler, you're really slow and you lose a lot." I turned to Camazotz. "Not only are you also bad in battles you seem to be completely insane and no one really understands anything you talk about. And of course there's me. I'm the most unreliable battler ever, I never listen to my trainer, I'm going slightly crazy and I can't go more than three steps before tripping over. But…" I fell silent and considered what I had said. "Wait, what happened there? This was supposed to be encouraging. Instead I just made myself depressed." We all were – even Tempest seemed a little gloomy.

"As motivational speeches go, man," Camazotz muttered, head low, "that was the worst and most depressing. Of all time." I couldn't help but agree with him and hope that I was never forced to talk to an army before a battle. I would probably guarantee the victory of the other side.

"Yeah, well," I mumbled, "my point still stands."

"What point?" asked a voice. The four of us turned to see Alice, Cassie and Midnight.

"Atrum wants to go after the fire pokémon!" Rose shrieked at Midnight. Midnight snarled and gave me a harsh glare.

"You want to lead us all to certain death at the hands of a rouge, homicidal fire type?" she asked. She shook her head. "Why am I not surprised?" Alice looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't work up the courage so she just nodded supportively at me.

"We have to stop him!" I said again. "We're the only ones who can!"

"Cassie and Alice are my priority," Midnight growled and prowled over to me. "I won't endanger their safety." I faced her down and mimicked her stance. She narrowed her eyes and clenched her paws as we glared at each other – so close we were almost nose to nose.

"Midnight!" Cassie yelled. Midnight looked back at her trainer.

"Atrum! Atrum! Atrum? Atrum. Atrum! Atrum!" Oh, right. Sam was there too. I heard him utter a frustrated groan and turn to Cassie.

"I think we should go after the fire pokémon," he said, instantly drawing everyone's attention to him.

"What?" they said. I use "they" because pretty much _everyone_ said it.

"We're the only ones who are strong enough to stop it," he said. "If we don't it will just keep attacking and eventually someone will get killed." I was extremely annoyed at Sam. Not only did he steal my arguments but he undermined my point... somehow. Still, he did provide me with an excellent distraction.

As everyone was focused on Sam I darted off behind a building and off towards where the fire pokémon had fled. I heard the shouts of the others but only for a few moments before I got out of range.

I passed the usual hordes of pokémon and people all working to put out the inferno. For the most part they were succeeding and the strength of the blaze had died down. I could still feel the heat of the flames on my fur but it was lessened.

"_You cannot do this…"_ I heard the whispers say. _"Go back!"_

"Look," I said to myself and whoever else might be listening, "you might as well accept that I'm doing this. You're not going to change my mind so just shut up." The whispers fell silent but I could practically feel their rage bubbling beneath the surface.

It unnerved me greatly.

The buildings thinned out as I reached the edges of the town. I had been running for a while now and my paws throbbed with a slight ache. It was getting a little harder to breath too. I made a mental note to get into shape and kept running.

I saw a flash of gold and ran towards it. The fire pokémon glanced back and snarled when he caught sight of me. He turned and stood his ground – his feet kicking up a cloud of dust as he twisted around. His eyes narrowed and he arched his back, sucking in his chest for a moment before shooting a blast of fire from his mouth. I managed to dart behind a building in time and the flames soared past me – just scorching the end of my left ear.

I heard familiar-sounding high pitched cries and glanced behind me to see a flaming psyduck run away. I frowned, thinking that seemed familiar somehow, but I put it out of my mind and turned my attention back to the other pokémon. I darted out from behind the wall and followed him out of Floaroma Town. The sizzling smell of burnt wood began to fade as nature became more prominent than human civilisation. Trees rose up to replace buildings and the sandy streets vanished to the soft, damp grass. It eased my tired feet. Stealing a quick glance behind me, I could see the fires of Floaroma were nearly extinguished. I could also see something in the distance but it was too far away to identify among the chaos.

The meadow was mostly flowers though an occasional golden tree rose up to fill the void. The whole place smelled of honey. I got the feeling the place would usually be teeming with bug and grass type pokémon but there was nothing. I guess the presence of a homicidal pyromaniac will do that.

And I bet it brings down property values too.

I caught sight of the fire pokémon near a tree – twisted, gnarled and littered with scorch marks. The tree, not the pokémon. He didn't even look out of breath and I felt a flash of envy. I searched my mind for something witty and impressive to say and ended up with,

"Hey!" I'll admit, that's pathetic but it's very hard to think up of one-liners when you've had a day like mine. He reached out and scraped his claws against the bark of the tree. Then he turned to face me, opened his golden maw and-

-promptly got hit in the chest with a barrage of water. I stopped in surprise and swivelled to find the rest of the group coming up behind me. Sam had grabbed Tempest and hoisted him up onto his shoulders where he was using him as an improvised gun. He aimed Tempest towards the fire pokémon and yelled,

"Fire!" Tempest puffed up his cheeks and shot a burst of water but the other pokémon darted behind the tree to avoid it.

"You followed me," I commented to Alice as the others sidled up next to me. She smiled and moved closer to me.

"You didn't really think we were going to let you do this alone," she asked me, "did you?" I returned her smile. Cassie shouted directions and Midnight stepped forward to lead the charge. Sam had laid Tempest on the ground and let him join us as we approached the tree. Tempest stepped forward and started to circle around.

A sudden movement drew my attention to the base where the pokémon leaped up and latched his claws onto a branch. The branch swayed for a moment before snapping and as the fire pokémon fell to the ground he threw the thick branch at Tempest.

He didn't even register the object before it struck him dead in the centre of his forehead and knocked him out. His eyes lolled back in his head and he went limp on the ground with his limbs sprawled out from his body.

With our only water pokémon unconscious, the pokémon slowly angled his head towards the rest of us and sneered. Then he turned to the tree and shot out yet another inferno – setting the tree alight. The flames danced amidst the branches and incinerated the autumn leaves.

We gulped in unison and Rose whimpered. Midnight was undeterred and prowled forwards with her head low and her back arched. Her fur was singed and a thin layer of sweat rolled off her. Her eyes narrowed as she turned to the pokémon and delivered a ferocious roar.

The golden creature didn't even seem to flinch as he turned to Midnight and returned her roar with equal fury.

Cassie yelled "Attack!" while the whispers yelled _"Don't!"_ and we all rushed forward into the fray. The enemy pokémon did nothing but narrow his eyes as we all charged at him with shouts and yells. He waited until we had almost hit him before he did something rather strange.

He brought one arm up in an arc as if to protect himself from the impending onslaught of pain. That wasn't the odd part. The movement of his arm seemed to ripple the surrounding air and a thin sheet of bluish-green colour enveloped him.

All four of us crashed into it at roughly the same time, all four of us hit the force-field and all four of us were sent flying backwards. It had been like hitting a brick wall except it tingled mildly – like a harmless electric shock.

"That was protect!" I heard Cassie shout. The statement meant nothing to me. "He must have learned it from a TM!" That also meant nothing to me. "He's a trained pokémon!" Now that _did_ mean something to me.

"_Twist your body to the left slightly!"_

I landed on a section of ground that hadn't been scorched and managed to turn around and get up almost immediately – ignoring the aches in my body. The pokémon darted over to the nearest fallen body, which just so happened to be Rose. He loosed a stream of fire but Alice crashed into him and knocked the blaze off target.

"_Circle over behind him!"_

I was running over to Alice before I even realised I was moving and dealt a scratch to the fire pokémon's muzzle. He grunted and swatted me away with his own scratch.

"_Duck!"_

He knelt down and managed to get close enough to knock out Rose with an ember. Midnight slammed into him and they both crashed into the burning tree so hard it shook. Branches fell off and littered the surrounding area.

"_Right! Left! Forward!" _I managed to avoid serious damage though they scraped against me a few times. I rushed over to help Midnight and I saw Alice in the corner of my eye with the same intention.

_"Listen to me!"_

There was a chaotic flurry of claws, fangs, screams and yells at the base of the tree as Midnight fought (literally) tooth and nail with the fire pokémon.

She grunted as the other pokémon drew back one arm and punched her hard in the nose – knocking her back. He narrowly avoided a scratch from Alice and swatted her away. I watched him as he inhaled deeply and breathed out a cloud of dark smoke that covered the immediate area. Though the blackness obscured everything, I heard him do it twice more. I heard Sam and Cassie shouting panicked and frantic directions. I also heard Alice yell.

Then I started to get scared.

My breathing sped up even further and the smoke burned my throat each time I breathed in. I swivelled every time I heard a noise in the crushing void of darkness I was trapped in. I was blind. I was helpless.

And Alice could be in trouble.

This called for desperate measures.

"Okay," I mumbled, hoping it wasn't just to myself, "show me what-"

"_DUCK!" _I instantly obeyed and noticed something yellow move through the air above me. I twisted out of the way at the whispers bequest and ran a few steps away.

Then the whispers showed me what they could _really_ do.

I jumped as everything became clear. I still couldn't see in the smokescreen but I somehow knew where everything was. I heard slight movements and paid attention to the subtle smells and figured out where everything was. It was more limited than vision but it would do.

I knew Midnight was trying to fight but she didn't have the added benefits I did so she was fighting blind and very few of her attacks actually made contact.

Alice wasn't making any loud sounds and her scent was everywhere. It worried me that I couldn't tell where she was.

I ran forward and stopped suddenly – skidding and kicking dirt into the fire pokémon's eyes. He recoiled and I darted in to scratch him (critical hit) across the belly. I could hear his laboured breathing and knew we were in fact wearing him down.

I couldn't tell the expression on his face but I guessed it would be surprise. I summoned a whirlwind to blow away the smoke and, my vision restored, I saw I was right. He shot four streams of fire at me and I backed up slightly – grinning with excitement as I did so.

This would be a challenge.

As the whispers spoke up, I kicked my back legs and jumped up to avoid the first wave of fire. I angled my jump and twirled in mid-air to avoid the next two and I ducked when I hit the ground so the last one soared above me.

Meanwhile, the razor wind emerged and slashed at the enemy. I felt a flash of glee as it sunk to its knees but only for a second. Midnight charged forward but she was weakened and it easily knocked her back. I sneered at her for being so pathetic and weak before I turned my attention back to my opponent.

It became nameless, faceless, with no identity or personality. It was merely a vessel for me to demonstrate my supremacy. It was nothing in the face my power, my might, my rage. How dare it even gaze upon me let alone challenge me. I would destroy it.

Yes, soon I would defeat it; soon it would lie dead on the bloody ground. I could see it now. The scent of blood – rich and metallic – filled my nose and all my thoughts turned to victory and death. Everything else faded from my mind and I focused entirely on the sight of the opponent. My grin grew wider as I bared my fangs. My eyes glinted with bloodlust and depravity as I focused on the enemy and prepared to-

No.

This isn't me.

This. Is. Not. Me.

_How do you know?_

I'm me. I should know.

_Maybe I'm you too…_

No.

No, no, no.

NO!

I will not listen to you.

_You can't shut me out, Atrum. I'm a part of you. I _am_ you._

Really, I can't shut you out? Because I think I just did. I mean, maybe I'm wrong- wait, no I'm right.

_You can't do this!_

Look at me, creepy, whispery voices: I'm shutting you out.

_Atrum, listen to me!_

Shutting.

You.

Out.

Now, if you don't mind…

**_GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_**

**_Bitch!_**

A burst of static filled my mind and overloaded my senses for a moment. I heard something that might have been a scream but it faded into nothing. There was something like a bright flash and things became clearer. The whispers were silent.

I glanced around to see the scene in disarray. The meadow was burning lightly and the tree had been incinerated into just a scorched and blackened trunk. Alice, Camazotz and Rose all lay unmoving nearby and Midnight was desperately trying to get to her feet.

Without the whispers to sustain me I almost collapsed. Pain that had been held back throughout the gruelling battle came flooding back. I was bruised, battered, burned and covered with scars. There was also a peculiar throbbing in my head.

I noticed the first few rays of sunlight begin to arrive from beyond the horizon and felt a flash of panic. I must have been unresponsive for at least a few minutes as I waged my silent internal struggle.

I quickly turned my attention back to the fire pokémon, expecting him to have fled. Surprisingly however, he remained in the same position. He was panting and limping and even more hurt than I was. He didn't seem to notice. He stared at me with a strange expression on his face. It was like… he understood me. Like he was curious but he knew what I was like, what I had gone through.

I locked eyes with him and he opened his mouth to say something.

I jumped as he vanished in a flash of bright red light without warning. I gaped at the pokéball lying on the ground where he had stood. It lay motionless for a couple seconds. Then the light around it faded and a sharp noise emerged.

It filled my heart with dread.

Shouting jerked me back to reality. I saw my fallen team-mates start to arise and Midnight crawled over. Sam and Cassie both looked absolutely horrified as they stared at the pokéball on the blackened ground.

"I didn't know it would _work_!" Sam exclaimed, sounding scared. "I just wanted to distract it! How the hell was I supposed to know I could catch a trained, shiny charmeleon with a pokéball?"

"What do we do with it?" Cassie wondered aloud. She was eerily quiet. Sam paced back and forth as he ran his hands through his hair. Cassie just stood motionless. The other pokémon assembled around me and all stared at the pokéball.

Such a small object; so innocent looking. So why did it inspire such terror?

It didn't shake. He wanted to be captured.

Noise and light emerged and we all jumped backwards as the fire pokémon appeared next to his pokéball. He calmly reached down, picked up the sphere in one hand and presented it to Sam. His eyes widened but the pokémon uttered a low growl of

encouragement. Sam gulped and slowly took the pokéball.

"You have got to be kidding me," he muttered. The charmeleon pointed at himself and then at each one of us in turn. The gesture confused me but Cassie realised what he meant.

"I… I think he wants a name," she said.

"Really?" he asked. Cassie nodded.

"What about Seth?"

"What does it mean?"

"Fire god of chaos and destruction." Sam glanced around the meadow – now unrecognisable as such due to having been set on fire.

"Well, it seems appropriate." The two trainers glanced down at the golden charmeleon. He tilted his head in consideration and nodded, smiling.

"I like it," he rumbled, his voice coarse and deep. It was the first time I had heard him speak. It made me shudder and I felt Alice lean into me. I didn't push her away. I heard a cough and saw Midnight beside me. I had never seen her look so terrible. She swallowed and muttered, hoarsely,

"Truce?" I was silent for a moment. Then I nodded. I wasn't surprised. Our feud didn't matter. Looking at the charmeleon, at Seth, at our new team-mate, I knew that and so did Midnight. I remembered the voice of the whispers muttering "don't trust her" but I put it out of my mind.

We had bigger things to worry about.


	17. Interlocution

_Beta-Reader: The Waffle19._

* * *

**Chapter 17: Interlocution**

* * *

**My name's Seth and this is what happened – and I'll kill anyone who says otherwise.**

As the morning sun slowly rose up through the sky, streaked with vibrant colours, all reds, oranges and yellows, everything had a slight tinge of gold as the rays of sunlight fell upon the ground and illuminated the destruction and chaos of the night before. The smoke and fire had dissipated but the smell still lingered on. It wafted through my nostrils. I breathed it in and let the scent wash over me –instantly overwhelmed by a feeling of contentment and glee.

What? You thought I couldn't be poetic?

The daylight revealed to me what damage I had wrought upon the town and the meadow. The once enormous expanse of thick trees and blossoming flowers had been reduced to a mere shadow of its former self. The trees were scorched and blackened while the grass and flowers were all incinerated to fragments of ash. The ground was desolate and arid but I felt a surge of anger as I noticed the green shoots of young plants were already beginning to grow.

The town was being rebuilt too. The humans were working together to rebuild their oppressive cesspit of a community. The human stench of sweat and industry seemed un-killable though that didn't mean I wouldn't try. I clenched my teeth and scowled as the infuriating cacophony of human voices rose even higher. They wouldn't shut up: complaining, yelling, crying, wailing. It was even worse than the bangs of metal hitting off metal as they rebuilt their pathetic excuse for a settlement.

I was grateful that I didn't have to enter the disgustingly wretched hive. Even being this close to humans without my flames backing me up made me physically ill. The thought made me glance up at the human I allowed to catch me. My… _trainer_. I grimaced. Another trainer: what a depressing thought. Still, it'd be worth it and I can always kill him when I've gotten what I wanted.

"We really can't thank you enough," I heard someone mumble to my humans. We stood at the very edge of the town with the two humans doing their best to stand in front of me and pretend I wasn't there. Meanwhile I was doing my best to show myself to the other humans. They had tried to return me but I had broken out each time. It's easy with practice and I've had a lot of practice.

I listened to my humans blabber on incessantly. Sam and Cassie, I think they were called. In any case there was no way I would call them by their names. They would be Trainer and Girl, or possibly Idiot and Slut. I hadn't decided yet.

"And you're sure there isn't anything we can do to thank you?" the other human mumbled. Idiot and Slut nervously babbled on as the rest of the "team" stood awkwardly nearby. I started to grow bored of their conversation. I tapped one foot against the ground and uttered a low growl. I finally grabbed the other human's attention and he glanced down at me with a curious frown.

"I don't remember seeing you with a fire type," he said to me. "Who's this strapping pokémon?" He actually bent down and his voice adopted a tone some humans might use when talking to an infant. Trainer panicked and went to pull him up away from me. Girl held him back. The human smiled and patted me on the head.

Every single thought I conjured went straight to killing him; I planned out several different scenarios. One only involved a carrot. I imagined the surge of ecstasy I would get from ripping his head from his shoulders. I pictured his screams as I set him ablaze and slowly ripped him apart with my claws. He would plead for mercy, beg me to stop. That would just encourage me.

But I couldn't give in to my impulses no matter how much I wanted to. I would have to let him live if I wanted to stay with this group and achieve my goals. So I sneered and snarled as I dug my claws into the ground. The contact of the human's hand made my flash crawl and I longed to pull away from it.

"Get your hand off of me," I growled slowly. The mightyena gave a yelp and the two humans pulled the other one away. He still wore that ridiculous smile – completely unaware of how close I had come to murdering him where he stood.

"What a nice charmeleon," he commented. "Did it help much when you drove away the ponyta?" And then the blabbering started again.

"A lot of help-"

"Tonnes of help-"

"Huge ponyta-"

"Really more of a rapidash-"

"Huge rapidash-"

"But we chased it away-"

"Definitely won't be coming back-"

"But if it does then it's not our fault."

These humans were pathetic liars. What was even worse was that the other human was completely oblivious. His stupid grin grew wider and he clasped his hands together.

"Well, we just can't thank you enough. If there's ever anything Floaroma Town can do for you, please, don't hesitate to ask."

"Oh, yeah, we will-"

"Thank you very much-"

"Better be going now-"

"Right now, in fact." The human gave Trainer and Girl a firm handshake but paused afterwards. He cast a glance towards the other pokémon with me. His eyes narrowed and his face took on a slightly worried expression. He turned back to Trainer and Girl and spoke. He hesitated and kept stopping and starting, all the while nervously tugging at the collar of his shirt.

"Maybe… I'm, well, perhaps it would be a good idea not to… flaunt… your dark pokémon. After all, you know how superstitious some people can get around dark." The human raised his hands in denial as Girl scowled and opened her mouth to argue. "I'm not saying _we're _like that of course, but it can get pretty bad in the north and east. You might attract some… unwanted attention."

Loath as I was to admit it, the human was right. Dark types had a very bad reputation both with humans and even other pokémon. The psychics certainly don't help matters. It was ironic then, that in this situation, the dark types were the heroes who had saved the town and the human thanked me, the culprit, because I was a fire type and therefore much more loyal and heroic. The whole situation was satirical bordering on absurd.

What? You thought I couldn't be philosophical?

Girl muttered under her breath and Trainer smiled at the other human.

"Thanks," he said, leading Girl away. "We'll keep that in mind." I let out a sigh of relief as we left the outskirts of the town and began to walk away. I didn't care where we were going as long as it was away from here. I walked a few feet behind the others and hoped no pokémon realised we were travelling together.

I noticed the others had fallen into particular groupings. Sam and Cassie led the way, talking loudly. The mightyena, sneasel and absol came next, though the mightyena looked uncomfortable with them. Finally, the zubat, slowpoke and budew came in a trio. Every couple of minutes someone would glance back at me nervously and gulp, quickly looking away when I caught their eye and leered (though I avoided Atrum's gaze). They obviously had no idea what to expect from me.

It made me smile.

(-*-)

"Hi, there." I stopped toying with my chain as I lay against a tree while the Trainer battled another human with the slowpoke. We had stopped after a couple of hours of walking.

"I said hi," the voice said again. I groaned and realised it wouldn't go away unless I spoke. I slowly glanced up to see the mightyena in front of me. She was nervous but hid it well and spoke with a casual and friendly tone. Something struck me about her immediately. Maybe it was the glint in her eyes, maybe it was the way she stood or the way she spoke confidently. Whatever it was I knew instantly: this one was a leader; an alpha.

I knew the type and knew she wouldn't let me step out of line. However, since I had beaten her once before, it wasn't such a big concern. She hated that of course. I could see it in her expression. Mixed in with all the apprehension was the knowledge that I was better than her. I knew it tormented her.

"How's the leg?" I asked with a smirk. Her mouth thinned but that was the only indications of the burning surge of rage that I knew threatened to overwhelm her. I couldn't help but be impressed.

"Fine," she replied with a new tension evident in her voice. "So, I guess you've had a trainer before. What happened?" I glanced away to hide my wince. Then I screamed and cursed at myself in my mind. The gesture gave too much away. I started to toy with my chain again to cover it up. Meanwhile, I started watching the battle. The slowpoke was fighting an archen. They were very rare in this region and Trainer was struggling. I shook my head at the lazy techniques employed by both the slowpoke and the trainer. The mightyena tried another approach.

"What have you got there?" she asked, motioning towards the chain around my neck. I considered ignoring her but figured it didn't matter if she knew. I shrugged.

"It's an everstone," I said.

"Why do you have it?"

"I don't want to evolve right now."

"Why not?"

"Because I want to wait until I'm strong enough. Until I'm ready." A startled cry drew my attention back to the battle though the mightyena never took her eyes off me. I actually felt a little respect for her.

The archen assaulted the slowpoke with countless plucks of its beak while the slowpoke tried hopelessly to evade.

"Oh, my!" he yelled. "Could you – ow – perhaps stop pecking me – ow!" He gave a tired groan and collapsed with his limbs spread out from his body in a comical fashion. The archen fluttered above him and cawed loudly.

"Who's my bitch?" it yelled in a very irritating voice. I stood up abruptly and strode over to it. The mightyena tensed as I walked by and watched my every movement with narrowed eyes. I ignored her and walked onto the battlefield. Trainer noticed me and started yelling. I ignored him too though it was much harder for me to do. As much as I hate it, almost all pokémon feel indebted to their trainer. It takes a lot of willpower to actively disobey them and it gets harder the longer you've been with them.

I leaned forward slightly and picked up speed as I kept going forward. I reached out with one arm and used it to vault myself into the air. I flew right into the archen and slammed the other arm down in a brick break. I felt myself break into a smile at the sound of its pained cries. We both plummeted to the ground but I made sure the archen was below me.

We kicked up a cloud of dust upon impact but I had expected as much and made sure to close my eyes on the descent. The archen didn't have as much foresight and couldn't see very well as it wriggled feebly, trying to escape. I arched my back and inhaled deeply. I felt the familiar sensation of comfortable heat in my throat and opened my jaw wide. A stream of fire spilled out and hit my opponent's head. I could scarcely hear its cries and that discouraged me. I stopped the flamethrower but by then it was unconscious. My shoulders lowered with disappointment and I sighed.

I glanced over at Trainer. He gulped and smiled nervously at me.

"Well done, Seth," he said. The other team members looked on with trepidation. The enemy human whistled with admiration as he returned his fainted archen.

"That," he said, with a smile and a motion towards me, "is one powerful pokémon you got there. I mean to have a shiny pokémon is one thing but you have a shiny _starter_." He shook his head. "I'm telling you, I'd love to have something like that. Everyone would be so jealous." I growled at the human. Here he was talking about me like I was a prize to be collected and showed off to one's friends.

"Do you want to trade?" Trainer asked suddenly. I swivelled towards him, shocked.

"Are you serious?" the other trainer asked with obvious disbelief. He looked taken aback. So was I.

"I just don't think he's the right pokémon for me," Trainer told him slowly like he was considering his words. Girl nodded enthusiastically.

"I don't really have anything to trade," he muttered.

"That's okay. Anything will do." I could hear the desperation in my trainer's voice. It was time to put a stop to this. I stepped forward and fired an ember at the enemy trainer. It roasted the ground by his feet and he fell backwards onto the ground with a surprised shriek. I showed my teeth and slowly walked over to him with my head lowered slightly in a threatening fashion.

"Seth, no!" I heard Trainer and Girl yell. I could see the terror in the human's eyes. I snarled at him and raked him across the leg with one claw. He scrambled to his feet and ran away as fast as he could, screaming all the while. Trainer and Girl yelled at me not to go after him but I had no intention of doing so; I had made my point. I raised the claw and licked off the few drops of blood before turning back to the others.

"Don't try that again," I told them. I didn't need any translation. Dim as the humans were, they understood exactly what I meant. Trainer ran a hand through his hair as the other human ran away. Girl folded her arms and muttered to herself.

"He didn't give us any money." Trainer shot her a look. "What? We do need money and that was the only trainer battle we've been in since before Floaroma. Excuse me for being practical."

"Right, I forgot you were cold and ruthless."

"Pragmatic!"

"Sure." The argument went on for a while and judging by the expressions of the other pokémon it wasn't a rare occurrence. They started walking and the two humans followed – probably without even realising it. I trailed after them and examined the scenery. Atrum tried to catch my eye and walk over to me but I avoided his gaze and sidestepped over to the other side. That conversation could wait.

We travelled a rugged hilly path with trees and flowers scattered around. A stream could be seen nearby but thankfully we stayed away from it. I hated water almost as much as I hated humans.

Almost.

We walked for a while before we reached another human. She was trying to pull her luxio behind her and he was not cooperating.

"You said a break in five minutes," he groaned as he dug his claws into the ground. "Well it's been five minutes and I'm taking my break." Girl called out a challenge and the other human looked up, blinking stupidly. She nodded her agreement and Girl leaned over to Trainer, whispering something in his ear. He nodded in reply and Girl took her place opposite the enemy trainer.

"You're up, Midnight!"

"Come on, Spark!"

"But what about my break?" The mightyena roared at the opponent luxio, circling him with a cold expression. The luxio gulped and lazily tried to bite the mightyena but she dodged effortlessly and dealt it a calculated ice fang to the throat. The luxio yelped and jumped back but the mightyena tripped it over and tackled it. Yet again I felt some measure of respect for her. Her fighting style was much different to mine; cold, calm and ruthless. I wouldn't be able to wait for the enemy to attack first like she had done. Still it managed to be effective and the luxio was out cold soon after.

The opponent human returned her luxio and replaced it with a porygon2 while the mightyena, Midnight, was switched with the zubat. He flew backwards onto the battlefield, cackling madly. Just seeing him was enough to make me avoid him. His insanity seemed almost substantial and it emanated from him. I shuddered. That zubat unnerved me.

Losing interest in this petty battle, I glanced around to see what else was going on. I spied Trainer talking to Atrum. I smirked; my curiosity aroused, and strode over to listen.

"Atrum," Trainer said, kneeling down before the absol. "Listen to me." Atrum yawned and seemed to examine a spot on the ground nonchalantly. "Atrum!" Trainer twisted his head to try and catch Atrum's eye but ended up just falling over. Atrum snorted and turned away. Trainer gritted his teeth and stood up again. He walked around to face Atrum again and looked down at him. Atrum just blinked.

"Did you want something?" he asked.

"Atrum, you need to start listening to me," Trainer replied desperately.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen."

"Just hear me out."

"Don't pretend you have any idea what I'm saying. I know you can't understand me."

"It's just that, I'm your trainer and you have to listen to me."

"I could say anything I want to you."

"I want us to be friends, Atrum. I know you want that too."

"You have big ears. I mean just look at how huge your ears are. They're enormous!"

"Just tell me what I have to do to get your respect."

"Oh, look at me, I'm Sam. I'm a human trainer with big ears so everyone has to pay attention to me."

"See, I knew you'd understand." I grinned at the amusing debacle but turned my attention back to the battle. The sneasel had taken the zubat's place against the porygon2.

She had the potential to be moderately strong, but was fragile and nervous enough to make her atrocious and pathetic. Amazingly she managed to win without knocking herself out. Midnight smiled at her and congratulated her as Girl collected the winnings. Another pointless exercise in training; it didn't benefit me at all. The loser human trailed off and the group prepared to depart. I gave a sigh and readied myself for another while longer in the company of these pathetic creatures.

"Hey!" I heard a familiar voice yell out. I considered avoiding again but the time felt right. So I turned around and faced Atrum as he strode over to me. He treaded lightly and unsurely with a nervous expression on his face.

"I, uh, I need to talk to you," he said to me. I sat down and grinned at him, apparently surprising him judging by his face.

"Sure thing," I said to him and gestured to the ground next to me, "have a seat, Atrum." He seemed confused, and sat down awkwardly opposite me. I reached out one hand and noticed him flinch. Always on the lookout for attack. I unclenched my hand and offered him a blue square.

"Pokéblock?" I asked. "I swiped one from the humans." He recoiled.

"No thanks," he said, looking sick. I shrugged and popped it in to my mouth, relishing the dry flavour as I swallowed it.

"So…" he began. He paused and scratched at one paw, glancing around him. He obviously had no idea what to say.

"You're probably wondering," I said, "what I'm doing here." He nodded.

"Yeah, that."

"Well that's easy to answer." I looked Atrum straight in the eye and smiled. "I'm here for you." He actually jumped with shock.

"What?" I figured I could have phrased that better and tried again.

"When we battled in the meadow you were incredible," I told him, leaning in closer. "Every single attack was executed perfectly. You knew weak spots I didn't even know I had. You could see where everything was without seeing anything at all and you didn't miss once. I have never seen any pokémon battle like you do."

"Oh, well thanks."

"But that's not why I'm here."

"So why are you here?"

"Because you're weak."

"… I'm not following you." I shook my head.

"You've obviously never had training, you don't know many good attacks, you have no coordination outside of battle and you fell over twice while walking over to me. So how the hell does someone like you defeat _me_?" Emotion poured into my voice and Atrum noticeably gulped. I controlled myself and leaned back again. "And that's what I'm doing here." He blinked.

"I'm still not following you."

"If a pokémon as untrained and weak as you could do so much damage, just think of what _I _could do. I'd be unstoppable. Invincible. I need to know how you have this… ability. I need to find out how you do it. I'm not asking you to tell me – that would take all the fun out of it. But I _will _find out."

"Come on, everyone!" Girl yelled. "We're going!" I grinned at Atrum one last time before I stood up and joined the rest, falling into line beside Midnight. Atrum joined us a few seconds later looking horrified. Oh, yes, I would find out Atrum's secret. I figured it might have something to do with Trainer but I wasn't sure. It might take months but I would learn what makes Atrum such a good battler. And when I did there would be no one to stop me…

What? You thought I couldn't have long-term plans?


	18. Interrogation

_Beta-Reader: The Waffle19._

* * *

**Chapter 18: Interrogation**

* * *

**Cassie**

The shrill sound of loud music pierced my ears and started to rouse me from my slumber. I grunted something unintelligible and swiped lazily at the headphones in my ears. Unable to find them under the chaotic mass that is my hair, I tried to find my phone – the source of the music. In the semi-awake state of consciousness I didn't even recognise what music it was but I found myself humming along to the tune anyway. I rooted around my sleeping bag and grabbed it, pressing random buttons until I got a response.

I got the right button eventually and the music stopped.

Silence. Sweet, merciful silence.

I grunted again and blinked a few times as I tried to focus. I briskly wiped away my hair but it just fell back into place again, covering my face. I groaned and reached for my hairbrush. It was in the usual place: small pocket on the left hand side of my bag. It took me a couple of minutes to comb my hair. I changed quickly and tried not to think about how much I missed indoor heating and showers.

I had packed up my things before I had even opened up the tent. The rush of biting cold hit me instantly and yet again I cursed the climate of this damn region.

Why did it have it be so cold here? I was wearing three layers of clothes, damn it!

I winced as I stood up and stretched. When I planned on becoming a trainer I never thought sleeping on the ground would be so uncomfortable. I woke up every morning feeling like a parade had walked on me during the night.

I sighed. Yet another thing I hadn't expected about being a trainer. It seemed like I had read everything to do with training but without experience I was hopeless. I kept trying to apply strategies I had learned in books and games only to realise they had no real-life basis. It was infuriating.

I raised a hand to shield my eyes against the morning sun and glanced around. Most of the pokémon were still sleeping except for Rose who was wandering around and Seth was starting to rise. He yawned, showing off his sharp teeth. I gulped. I still didn't know why he was here but it worried me. I kept thinking he was going to slit our throats while we slept. Turning away to hide my shudder, I went to check on my own pokémon. Midnight slept right outside my tent as always and started to wake up the moment I did. I bent down and rubbed her behind the ear. She closed her eyes and growled with satisfaction, drawing a smile to my own face.

Alice was nearby with Atrum and my smiled vanished when I saw them. I didn't trust Atrum either, but for entirely different reasons. I didn't like how close they were getting but I did want Alice to make new friends and Atrum seemed to treat her well.

"Wake up, Alice," I uttered softly as I nudged her slightly with one hand. She lazily opened her eyes and blinked a few times as she adjusted to the light. Leaving her to wake up I went looking for my last pokémon. I saw signs of movement in Sam's tent as I walked past. Hanging from a tree branch at the edge of the campsite, Camazotz slept with his wings curled in around him like a blanket.

He was the pokémon that confused me most. I caught him by accident and kept him in spite but I've got to say that I grew to like him. He just didn't seem to be like the others. He acted strange from the moment I caught him but now it was even worse. He flitted around like he was constantly on drugs. I know that's ridiculous but as of yet I couldn't find an actual explanation. I clapped my hands together and told him to wake up. He let go of the branch and fell to the ground before flying up into the air backwards.

"Zubaaaat," he shrieked and flew over to the campsite where everyone was almost awake. Sam emerged from his tent – almost tripping on his way. He rubbed his eyes in the harsh morning light and glanced over at me. He gave a tired smile and I smiled back automatically before I could stop myself. Damn it.

I packed up the tents in a few minutes, still a little confused as to how we kept managing to put them up. It seemed like we tried a different method each time and it always worked out. Sam gathered up his pokémon and all the stuff lying around the campsite. I kept looking back as I bundled the tents into the bags. Sam was lightly kicking Tempest to try and rouse him but he looked reluctant. Rose was sitting on top of Tempest's head and was trying to help by jumping up and down. Atrum looked on with amusement and Seth regarded the scene with obvious contempt. I narrowed my eyes.

"Yena," came the growl of my starter from behind me. Midnight came up beside me, her eyes narrowed as well as she scrutinised the golden charmeleon. She was growling ever so softly. I nodded.

"Yeah," I muttered, and turned to Midnight. "Do you know what he's doing here?" She shook her head without taking her eyes off him. "Damn." She growled in assent.

"He's powerful," I commented to which Midnight tensed. "Do you think you can beat him?" She paused for a moment and made some gestures. I frowned and wracked my brain.

"I don't understand," I told her. She hesitated and made fighting motions, baring her teeth and scratching at the air. The answer struck me suddenly. "You need more training." She growled in assent once more. I sighed.

"He's got some good moves."

"Yen."

"We'll need to get you some TMs – good ones too."

"Yena." I stopped and turned my attention to the other pokémon that unnerved me. Atrum stood there next to Alice with an amused expression on his face.

"Watch Atrum too," I quietly told my starter. She gave me a look. I'm not always able to understand what my pokémon are saying but this time the message was perfectly clear.

"What do you think I've been doing all this time?" We both looked away in unison as Sam and the others approached.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Of course," I replied, and we set off.

(-*-)

Midnight slammed into the buneary with calculated precision, sending it flying. It shrieked as it soared briefly and slammed into a tree. It sunk to the ground and winced before bounding off. I nodded at Midnight in acknowledgement of her victory.

"Do we really have to battle every single thing we meet?" Sam asked from behind me. I gestured to Midnight and started walking, glancing around for Alice and Camazotz as I did so. Sam fell into place beside me with the other pokémon trailing behind.

"We want to get stronger, don't we?" I replied without looking at him. I found it was so much more difficult to lie – or just disguise the truth – when I wasn't looking at Sam.

"And you didn't think I'd noticed you excluding Seth in training?" My stride faltered and Sam must have seen my expression of surprise because he frowned.

"I don't appreciate being treated like an idiot," he told me. His azure eyes showed intelligence and I didn't even realise I was gazing in to them for a few seconds. "I know we have to make sure the others are strong enough to beat him if it comes to that. That means we'll need TMs, some vitamins for speed and attack, maybe some items for an advantage in battle…" He caught my shocked glance and smiled. "I _have_been paying attention to your rants about training-"

"I do _not _rant."

"-and I still have that book I got in Oreburgh. I'm also a fast learner." His expression grew serious. "The point I'm trying to make is that you should include me when you're making these schemes of yours." I opened my mouth to argue but stopped.

Schemes. I like that.

I nodded and Sam seemed satisfied. We both fell silent for a moment.

"Do I really rant?" I asked. Sam started to laugh and I shot him a look as I tried to not join in. It didn't work and we laughed in unison until a bellowing grunt from Seth drew our attention away. We both stopped at the edge of the forest, a light wind rustling my hair. We had decided to circle around the forest as a short cut and emerged from the rocky pass. Before us was a lake, a wide wooden bridge stretching across it. Eterna City could be seen across the expanse of water, its old buildings rising up against the horizon.

It wasn't the first time I had seen it the city; this is where I had arrived only a few weeks ago. Eterna City Airport was up further north and while I couldn't see it, I spied a plane descending above the city. The first time I was here I was terrified. I was in an unknown region with Midnight and Alice as my only companions. I was seriously reconsidering my dream of becoming a trainer.

Now that feeling of trepidation and nervousness was gone. I wasn't alone in my journey, I had caught another pokémon. I knew what I was doing. At least moderately. I allowed myself a smile. Sam did the same as he surveyed the city. Tempest had his usual expression of dopey joy and Atrum yawned, looking slightly bored. Seth was snarling though I don't know whether it was about the lake or the city. I had no idea what Camazotz was feeling. Alice was obviously nervous and I felt bad for dragging her into yet another city. It had to be done however. I took her hand and squeezed it to reassure her. She gulped and smiled at me.

I heard Seth groan and pulled on Sam's leg, motioning for the pokéball on his belt. Sam nodded after a few seconds and returned him in a familiar flash of red. The entire group seemed to relax and let out a sigh of relief. Sam and I exchanged a look.

We needed to get rid of that charmeleon.

We crossed the bridge and battled a few fishermen on the way. Rose lost against a gyarados without even managing to get in an attack but apart from that we were fairly lucky. I noticed Atrum didn't seem to be battling as well. Or at least sometimes he wouldn't and other times he would. He would start out bad and try to win like that but sometimes just randomly became unstoppable if it seemed like he was losing.

I didn't know what to make of it. Neither did the trainers we were battling. Most accused us of cheating somehow and all of them cast suspicious glances at us and our pokémon. A lot of trainers treated us without outright hostility and refused to speak to us.

"I guess the mayor was right," Sam muttered as a fisherman stormed off, swearing about "filthy dark types". I glared at Sam as if he were the cause of it.

"So you're saying we should follow his advice?" I asked angrily. "Pretend we don't have any dark pokémon? Give in to bigotry and ignorance?" I crossed my arms and scowled, noticing Midnight standing beside me as always. "I refuse to disown my pokémon just because they aren't fashionable."

"I wasn't saying that."

"Well…just so we're clear." Sam cast me an amused glance.

"Oh damn it," I muttered, lowering my arms and glancing away. "I _do _rant." Sam laughed again and we continued on towards the city, finally reaching it after about half an hour of walking. Once again a few people glanced at us suspiciously –silently accusing us of something they didn't even know. A woman with a glameow pursed her lips and muttered something as we passed. One man crossed the street and an old man with a dustox stopped and stared at us in outrage.

"This is…" I began.

"Not what I expected," Sam finished. The group of us huddled closer as we walked along the city pavement. We all felt guilty despite not doing anything and there was a glimmer of fear. These people had never seen us before yet they felt such hatred and suspicion. I always knew at the back of my mind that most people disliked dark pokémon but I never imagined… this.

Alice hugged my leg and Camazotz rested on my shoulder. Sam stood on one side of me with Atrum on the other and Midnight walked ahead with Tempest and Rose right behind her. There was very little of the city I could admire when in a state of perpetual trepidation.

Damn it. So much for not being afraid.

We hurried on and I let out a sigh of relief when I spotted the pokémon centre. Sam and I moved even faster, rushing past crime scene tape and…

Wait. What?

"Excuse me, ma'am," I turned to find a policewoman addressing me. She blocked the entrance of the centre. "You'll have to leave." I gulped. The presence of police brought back unpleasant memories and I wondered what had happened and how it could have been bad enough to result in the centre closing.

"What happened?" Sam asked, coming up from behind me with the other pokémon.

"We're currently investigating-" She froze. I tracked her gaze to Atrum, standing next to Sam and staring back up at her.

"Sol," he muttered, sounding a little apprehensive.

"Where did you get that…absol?" The officer asked Sam. She had gone pale, her finger grasping at her belt for a radio. Her horrified expression filled me with dread – and not the kind I had felt with the superstitious inhabitants. At least I knew what their problem was: they were idiots.

"Well, I… I mean…" Sam stuttered, not sure what to say. He gestured to the centre. "I was told to-"

"You brought him here?"

"I…"

"Answer the question!"

"Yes." The woman gulped and spoke into her radio while motioning for a few other police. They surrounded us quickly and I began to panic. My breathing sped up and I backed away.

"What do you want?"

"Ma'am, please. I'm going to have to ask you to calm down."

"No, I want to know what you want!"

"Cassie-"

"What do you want? What's happened? Tell me!"

"She's hyperventilating. Restrain her."

"What."

"_What? _No, you can't do this!" A noctowl appeared out of nowhere and instantly commanded my attention. I was still petrified and found myself gazing into its eyes – its wondrous, soothing eyes. I felt a subtle insistence tugging at the back of my mind: sleep.

It seemed such a shame to argue… when the voice was so…

Persistent.

(-*-)

"Cassie." Hearing my name wrenched me from my slumber. I jerked up and winced, massaging my head.

"Ow," I mumbled, closing my eyes and trying to deal with a migraine. "Where are we?"

"Pokémon Centre," I heard Sam reply.

"What?" My eyes shot open and I saw it was true. I was lying on the same uncomfortable metal benches in the same room I had waited in with Sam while Atrum was examined in the other room. A panicked thought occurred to me and I cast fearful glances around the room.

"Where are the pokémon?" I asked, not bothering to hide my concern.

"He told me to return them," Sam told me, hints of anger present in his voice. I frowned at his expression of irritation.

"Who?" I asked.

"Me," another voice answered; a familiar voice. I turned around to see a man standing in the doorway, a toxicroak standing next to him. James Jean Lores shook his head and sighed.

"What is he doing here?" I asked, turning back to Sam and feeling even more confused.

"I'm here," James answered before Sam could speak, "to try and see if can sort out the enormous travesty that you've got yourselves into."

"I'm not following you," Sam and I answered in unison. We exchanged a quick smile before turning back to James and his toxicroak.

"You met with a doctor here a few weeks ago," he said. It wasn't a question but Sam nodded anyway. "He's dead." He said it so coldly. His expression didn't change, nor did his voice. It shocked me how he could be so matter-of-fact about something like that. "He was murdered." The room fell silent. I couldn't think of anything to say but I knew I should have said something. This man I met once, that I hardly knew, was dead and no one seemed to care. I didn't care. That seemed wrong somehow. James continued on, answering the unspoken question on both our lips.

"We think he was killed by-"

"Are these them?" I jumped and turned to see a man at the other side of the room. He rose from the shadows where he was sitting, showing himself to be a tall, imposing man in a brown trench coat. It was impossible to discern his age exactly but his grey hair and subtly lined forehead betrayed his old age. Still he managed to look handsome despite this. I couldn't help but notice his piercing brown eyes, glancing around the room, examining everything, lingering for only moments on anything.

"How did you-" Sam began to say, looking as surprised and taken aback as I was. The stranger held up one hand and silenced us both with an unspoken command that left no possibility of us disobeying. He struck me as being similar to James and I wondered if they knew each other.

"Good, it is to see you, James and Raven," the stranger said with a strange accent. His voice was flat and toneless, completely devoid of any semblance of emotion that might indicate what he felt. If he was friendly with James it was impossible to know and James replied in kind with a simple nod. Raven uttered a croak which told me even less. James turned back to us.

"This is Agent Looker," he said with a slight jerk of his head. "He's with the International Police." I furrowed my brow and stepped closer to Sam.

"What's he doing here?" Sam asked. James raised an eyebrow towards Looker who shook his head.

"This is not an area which is secure," he said. "We must go leave."

"You're right," James said, nodding in agreement. "We have to move."

"Where?" Sam asked. I didn't speak, instead sheltering behind him. I didn't like the fact that Looker was here – had been here all the time and neither of us had noticed. I didn't like meeting people I didn't know and I liked it even less when they snuck up on me. I still didn't even know what was going on. I hated this entire situation.

"We're not going anywhere," Sam said defiantly, standing up to James and Looker as he crossed his arms, "until you explain what's going on."

"Where did you get Atrum?" James asked. Sam paused at the sudden question. I paled, dreading whatever would come next. It would be about Atrum wouldn't it?

"What?"

"It's a simple question. Absol are rare and only live at the summit of Mount Coronet. Since there are restrictions on who's allowed up there, how did you get one?" Sam fell silent, looking away. "Will you come with me now?" After the longest moment, he nodded. "Good."

James and Looker swept us out of the building and boarded us into a huge, black armoured car. The local police were still there but now there seemed to be a new group, dressed in dark colours and having the same cold and detached façade as James and Looker. They glanced at us as we left the building and moved to surround us. A few curious citizens peeked over the crime scene tape around the area. Some of the police urged them along and I spied the woman from earlier with her glameow.

She smiled smugly as she watched us. It confused me for a moment before I realised what this must look like. We were, after all, being escorted into a car surrounded by police as we emerged from a crime scene. We had confirmed her bigotry towards dark pokémon. I gritted my teeth and tried to ignore her, instead looking at Sam. He stared at James with a thoughtful expression on his face. I heard James ask an agent if_he_had been called yet but didn't hear anymore.

Sam and I entered the armoured car and the door slammed behind us. The seats were cold leather but other than that the car was comfortably warm. At the very least it was better than the biting chill of the wind outside.

Sam and I sat in silence, too nervous and worried to speak. I could barely tell we were moving. The windows were all blacked out and the engine ran so smoothly that I couldn't feel the car moving. It wasn't long before my door opened suddenly. James motioned for us to get out and we clambered outside.

I raised a hand to my face to shield my eyes from the sun but as I stood up straight the glare vanished, blocked from view by a building. No, a skyscraper: a steel and concrete structure that towered above us. The enormous insignia of a stylised V was evident above the large electric doors and below it were the words "Vader Industries." The whole building gave off a slightly sinister atmosphere.

"Go we must inside," Looker said to us, shepherding us towards the entrance. Sam and I exchanged an anxious look before stepping through. The doors swung open soundlessly as we approached and a pleasant voice sounded, wishing us a nice visit to the Eterna branch of Vader Industries.

The interior was much more welcoming. The entrance hall was bright and open, the walls a soft blue. There were a few chairs around a table in the centre and it seemed like the entrance to a hotel rather than that of a multi-national corporation. There were a lot of people around with their pokémon but the atmosphere was a friendly, if professional, one.

We stepped forward and a red laser appeared before us, blocking our path. A woman at the receptionist desk waved us through and pressed a button, making the laser vanish. A few employees glanced at our troupe as we passed them. It must have seemed strange to see two teenagers being escorted by a bunch of agents and pokémon but they didn't look fazed. The possibility that this was a regular occurrence did nothing to calm my nerves.

We marched to the elevator and paused for a moment as a woman whispered something in James' ear. He nodded and stepped into the elevator with me and Sam. Looker stopped to talk to another man and motioned to James to go on. The thumping of my heart had not lessened at all and I actually winced at the sudden ascent of the elevator after the doors closed. The three of us rode up to the sound of an upbeat generic song. It made me sick.

The elevator doors chimed and opened to an empty hallway. Sam stepped out and I followed him a second later, pausing for a moment to glance out a window. I could see the city far below. Very far below. James motioned for me to keep walking and eventually we reached a closed door at the very end of the corridor.

James walked inside and we were met with yet another new face. The room was a large office, average in that it had a big desk and a chair. Papers were stacked on it and bookshelves lined the walls with pictures, graphs and charts. There were no photographs or any indication of a personal life. Even the walls were a dark grey colour, devoid of any interest other than work.

At the far end of the office there was a window stretching from one corner to another, facing the North West. The Coronet Mountain Range could be seen and if you squinted, then you could make out the ocean. A man stood with his back to us, admiring the view apparently. An alakazam stood beside him.

He wore a suit of dark red, his grey hair falling past his shoulders. He looked around, examining us from behind a pair of lilac glasses and pursed his lips in thought. An expression of seriousness was evident on his face but there was also a presence of serenity and, most of all, of power. He had that same powerful aura that Looker and James possessed. I knew him immediately. How could I not?

"…Ah, hello," he said.

"Hello, Lucian," James answered respectfully. "I'm surprised you haven't helped yourself to one of the books." Lucian gave James a polite but condescending smile – like one you might give to a child who had asked a ridiculous question.

"James, please, I have read everything you could offer me long ago." His expression grew sombre and he looked at me and Sam. "Samuel Jacobs and Cassandra Gunn." It wasn't a question. He knew who we were. I gulped. Sam nodded.

"Cassandra Gunn," Lucian muttered, scrutinising me with hazel eyes. "Born sixteen years, one month, six weeks ago in Littleroot General Hospital, Hoenn, to parents Paul and Sally Gunn. Paul Gunn is currently incarcerated in Lilycove Prison and your mother is in a coma, residing in West Jubilife Hospital. Registered as a trainer six weeks ago in Eterna City Pokémon Centre. Starter pokémon Midnight, a mightyena. Other pokémon are Alice, your sneasel, and Camazotz, your zubat. One gym badge obtained from Oreburgh approximately two weeks ago. Detailed information about your appearance, background, pokémon, victories and criminal history can also be obtained if desired." He then turned his attention to Sam. "Samuel Jacobs." He said nothing else. Everyone fell silent, an expectant hush descending on us all. Sam leaned forward.

"Yes?" he asked. Lucian narrowed his eyes.

"Nothing," he said. "I have no idea who you are. The only reason I even know your name is because James met you beforehand in what I can only describe as one of the oddest coincidence ever." He shook his head and walked over to us. His alakazam remained motionless. "We have no record of you ever having existed. You do have one badge however, so I know that at some point after your first gym battle, you were deleted from the national training database. And I have no idea how. Would you care to shed some light on this matter?" I blinked and turned my head to Sam. He looked confused and horrified, his mouth hung open slightly.

"I…" He trailed off. "I don't know…" Lucian sighed.

"I didn't think you would." He motioned towards a couple of chairs. "Please, sit." We sat. Doing otherwise didn't seem like an option when the request came from the last Elite Four of Sinnoh. James leaned against the wall, crossing his arms, and Raven watched beside him. Lucian stepped over to us gracefully, pausing at the table to examine a book on metaphysics. He picked it up with both hands, holding it reverently as he carefully flicked through the pages.

"James," he said, not looking away from the pages, "could you explain the situation." James nodded. He looked at me and Sam.

"The incursion of the global terminal is not the only one of its kind," he began without hesitation. "For some time now we've been tracking the operation of a new terrorist group based in Sinnoh." He paused for a moment. "We're calling them Insurgence."

"You mean… like Team Galactic?" Sam asked apprehensively.

"Not exactly. Their members do stem from previous groups: Rocket, Galactic, Magma and Aqua. The difference is that this time they've been highly trained. They have professional criminals and assassins in their ranks but we don't know that much about them. They're working in the shadows, behind the curtain. We don't know where they're based, who's behind it or how they're funding the operation but these people pose a much greater threat. They've learned from the mistakes of other groups and so far we have no idea what to expect.

"Since we don't know what their motives are we're not sure how to deal with them. The International Police have been brought in but Insurgence are unpredictable and so far our efforts have been unsuccessful. At least until now." Sam and I looked at each other and I frowned.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"About three weeks ago you were both in Oreburgh. Did you happen to catch the emergency broadcast on television?" We shook our heads, equally confused. "Then you don't know about the massacre of pokémon on the summit of Mount Coronet that wiped out the entire absol population."

"What?" I exclaimed before I could stop myself. Horror and bewilderment overwhelmed me. "Why would someone… How could they…" I was blabbering and shook my head. I was just so shocked. Sam held my arm in comfort and I heard him speak.

"Why do we not know about this?" he said. "This should be global news."

"Because as soon as the initial broadcast started to play at four a.m. the station switched to advertisements for soya sauce. When we found the reporters who discovered it they couldn't remember what had happened and all footage had been wiped from the database."

"Thankfully we did manage to get to the scene itself and clear it out before anyone stumbled on it. We found evidence of Insurgence being present though we have no idea what they did or how they managed to periodically slaughter a tenth of the mountain's population in such exact ways.

Lucian cleared his throat and spoke again.

"So it is lucky that we have someone who can tell us," he said. I understood immediately but Sam paused.

"What?

Lucian gave that kind and condescending smile again as he placed it back on the table, muttering something about the intrinsic faults of dualism. Then he turned to us and spoke.

"Atrum is the only survivor of an event which took the lives of countless pokémon and, it seems, Insurgence members, though the bodies were taken. Atrum can tell us all about it." The alakazam finally moved, appearing next to Lucian with a shimmer and pop. "This is Nietzsche. He can extract the information from Atrum should he be unwilling to tell us what he saw."

"You can't be serious," Sam muttered in disbelief.

"Why not?" Lucian asked calmly.

"He's my starter!" Sam cried out in outrage, rising to his feet. "And he hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Hasn't he?" James interjected. "Atrum survived a massacre which killed everyone he's ever known. He somehow escaped with broken bones, bullet wounds and severe bleeding. He should be traumatised and catatonic. And yet when I saw him he was perfectly healthy and well-adjusted.

"We know Insurgence is looking for him – it's why Mars and Jupiter murdered the doctor and his pokémon. We know it's probably why the invaded the global terminal after they did: the doctor told them a trainer captured Atrum and they needed information. The thing is, they couldn't find any information because it had been deleted."

"We have every right to be suspicious, Sam," Lucian said. Sam fell silent and looked at me. I couldn't provide any answers so he just sighed.

"I don't really have a choice," he muttered, "do I?"

"I would prefer for it to be your choice," Lucian replied, "but no, you do not." Sam nodded and slowly, reluctantly, reached into his bag and pulled out a pokéball. He hesitated before holding it out and pressing a button. The suspect absol appeared in the centre of the room, lying on the ground and curled up into a ball. He yawned and opened his eyes. He jumped as he realised where he was.

"Absol?" he cried. He glanced around but froze when he saw the alakazam. The sight of Nietzsche seemed to terrify him and he slunk over to a corner of the room with no one in it. Lucian looked at his alakazam and made a motion with his hand.

The alakazam narrowed its eyes and rose to the air. He levitated above us, imposing and just a little scary. He carried a sense of age and power that was obvious to all. I never liked psychics. Nietzsche floated over to Atrum and tilted his head. Atrum looked confused and fearful, glancing around and wincing at every noise. Sam tensed beside me, eager to rush over to him. I gently held him back.

Atrum's head jerked up and he frowned, shaking his head at Nietzsche.

"_Kazam_…" he growled, causing Atrum to back away.

"Sol. Absol."

"Zam!"

"Ab." The conversation went on for a while with the alakazam growing increasingly irritated. Eventually he turned back to Lucian and apparently spoke through telepathy. Lucian frowned.

"What? ...Are you sure? …I…" He trailed off. He stepped back and paused to consider his words carefully. He blinked and took off his glasses with trembling hands before cleaning them thoroughly and putting them back on.

"It appears," he began, slowly, "that Atrum can remember nothing about his life before he was captured." This captured everyone's attention. James stood up straight.

"What?" he exclaimed. "He must be lying."

"Please, James, you know that is not possible. Not even a dark type can resist the telepathy of a psychic as powerful as Nietzsche." Lucian shook his head. "No, Atrum is telling the truth." His expression morphed into a look of worry and concern. "We must investigate this further. The other pokémon might know something. They must be questioned as well."

I stood up next to Sam, outraged. I might not trust Atrum but there was no way I was going to let anyone-

(-*-)

**Sam**

"Wake up." My eyes shot opened and the darkness retreated. I frowned, confused, as a headache set in. My hand went to my throbbing head as I sat up suddenly. Everything blurred for a moment but quickly went back to normal when I blinked a few times. I saw James kneeling down before me as I lay sprawled against a chair at an odd angle.

"What happened?" I mumbled and tried to get up. I winced and wondered how long I had been lying here so uncomfortably. I shot a glare at James like he was to blame for all of my problems. I knew it was unfair; I'm sure he was only to blame for most of them.

"Lucian put you to sleep," he said. "And your girl. He didn't want you to cause trouble when he took away your pokémon." I could see that our bags were gone.

"What a jackass," I muttered as I sat up. I glanced over to see Cassie face down on the floor and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. She mumbled and swatted my hand away, not waking up.

"He has a hard job," James said to me, his voice sympathetic. "And the turmoil of the government right now probably isn't helping." I nodded but I didn't agree with him. "No one has filled the place of Pokémon Professor since Rowan's resignation and with the latest situation…" He trailed off but my curiosity was aroused.

"What?" I asked, then frowned as something occurred to me. "You mean the rumours that Bertha is retiring are true?" He nodded.

"There isn't really anyone qualified to take her place right now – not when other newer regions have better prospects. Hell, the only reason we even have eight Gym Leaders is because Riley replaced Byron when he retired."

"What about Cynthia?"

"What about her?"

"Well, where is she in all of this?" James snorted and his voice turned slightly bitter.

"Cynthia loves to play good cop. She's the small town country girl who will always listen to the problems of the training world. She refuses to take part in any decision that might have negative consequences. This means we're the ones who get the blame and complaints when we make practical decisions."

"We?" I asked, confusing James.

"What do you mean?"

"_We_have to make decisions._We_have eight Gym Leaders. It's always_we_. So how do you fit in with the government?" I raised my voice and stood up again, wobbling a little before regaining my balance. "Who are you, James? What are you doing here? And how do you know me?" James stayed quiet for the longest time; his face expressionless, his eyes boring into my soul.

"I'm the CEO of Vader Industries," he finally answered, standing up to face me. "I'm here because I'm the head of one the largest organisations in the world and I liaise with the government on matters of my expertise." I crossed my eyes and glared at him, narrowing my eyes. His statement shocked me but I didn't let it show. I'm good at that: not letting people know what I'm thinking.

"And the last question?" James shook his head guiltily.

"It's not for me to say." A flood of rage erupted in my mind and I kicked a chair over. I slammed my fist down on the table and tried to contain myself. A trick of counting to remain calm came to mind but after three I gave up. Still furious I turned and glared at James. He was visibly shocked. He took a step back when I locked eyes with him.

"All my life," I muttered, my voice trembling with barely disguised rage, "I've wondered where I came from. Vivien never lied to me about being adopted, about someone dropping me off at the hospital with only a name. She never lied to me about someone _abandoning _me." I placed emphasis on the word as the emotions I was so good at bottling up spilled out. I balled my shaking fists and my lip curled into an angry sneer. "All my life I had to watch the other kids with their parents and know that I wasn't good enough for mine. I wondered what I had done to deserve abandonment. I hoped one day I would… I could meet them and show them… I don't know, that I could change, maybe.

"But that never happened and I've spent every day wondering about my parents. And then you came along." My voice lightened for a moment, reminiscent of the hope I had felt when I realised this man, this stranger, knew where I came from. Then my voice returned to being laced with bitterness. "But you won't tell me. You. Won't. TELL ME!" Near blinded by rage and frustration I began to approach James. I didn't even know why but I kept going anyway. He gazed into my eyes and drew back. He was taken aback – the most emotion I had ever seen him show. I had shocked him. Good.

A burning pain in my shoulder made me yell and suddenly I was on the ground; my face pressed hard into the cool wooden floor, my arm wrenched back behind my back. I heard croaking and knew it was Raven. I hadn't even realised she was in the room.

Her touch on my skin burned me lightly. The stinging sensation of the acid made me wince and I bit down on my lip hard. After a few seconds James seemed to regain his sense and shouted hurriedly at his toxicroak.

A groan drew my attention away towards Cassie. She was stirring. I felt my anger subside. A hand came up to brush the hair out of her face and she sat up drowsily. I felt Raven release me and rushed over to Cassie – holding her shoulders to stop her from falling over. Her tired eyes rested on me and she frowned.

"Sam?" she asked, blinked and shook her head. Already, she was regaining her senses. "Where are they?" I tilted my head to James.

"He took them," I told her. Not entirely true but close enough. Cassie glared up at James.

"Take us to them," she said forcibly and with obvious belligerence. James still looked taken aback and stared at me. He stuttered a few syllables and eventually nodded his head. He stared at me the entire time.

(-*-)

James led us along a corridor – Raven patrolling behind us. Every room had one or two of our pokémon in it with one of Lucian's. Cassie tried to open one but they were all locked tight, presumably by the psychic inside. Cassie and I glanced inside to see our pokémon. Alice and Rose both looked terrified to be faced with a bronzong, floating ominously around them and occasionally emitting the booming noise of a bell.

Seth looked furious, spitting and hissing at the espeon that stared at him. Camazotz and Tempest shared an inquisitor. Tempest was obviously happy to help but Camazotz was nervous and distrustful. He glared at the gallade with a look of caution.

Midnight was talking avidly with a worried looking girafarig apparently hanging on her every word. As we looked in they paused and spoke in more hushed tones, as if scared we might hear. Atrum was in the last room and had Lucian and his alakazam, Nietzsche, all to himself.

He cast glances around the room, trying to avoid the gaze of the powerful psychic. He whined and whimpered, staying in the centre and trying to back away simultaneously. He looked absolutely terrified. I wanted to get him out and felt another flash of hatred.

Looker emerged from the elevator, walking up behind us and turning to James. If he was surprised we were here he didn't show it. I didn't expect him to. He whispered something in James' ear, provoking a frown.

"Still nothing?" James asked. Looker shook his head and turned to me.

"Where is the place can you tell me which you got your Seth?" he asked. It took me a minute to figure out what he was asking me. I glanced at Cassie and she gulped.

"Trade," I said. I saw Cassie glare at me out of the corner of my eye but ignored her. If James was going to keep secrets then I was going to return the favour. "I got Seth off a trainer I passed on the way from Floaroma Town. I didn't catch his name." James stared hard into my eyes. I stared back. There was no way he could prove me wrong since my trainer record had been deleted. Looker turned his head to Cassie.

"This is true, is it?" he asked. Cassie locked eyes with me and hesitated before finally nodding. A door opened with a small bang and Lucian strode out into the hallway with Nietzsche in tow. He turned to us.

"Main office," he said. "Now." The calmness of earlier was gone and he looked tired and frustrated. We all trudged back to James' office and Lucian slammed the door after we all entered.

"He has no memory," he muttered, pacing the floor. The rest of us stood in various positions and watched. "It is gone – vanished." He placed both hands on the table and took a few deep breaths. This seemed to calm him. He took off his glasses again, muttering as he cleaned them with a handkerchief and put them back on.

"I'm getting too old for this job," he said absentmindedly. He shook his head. "How did this happen?"

"I don't know," James said. He walked over and placed a hand on the Elite's shoulder.

"Ridiculous is this whole thing," Looker exclaimed. James nodded in agreement.

"That's right."

"What do you mean?" I asked. He turned to me.

"How had Atrum not been found?" he asked. "You've taken no measures to hide him and absol are one of the rarest pokémon in existence. After the massacre at Mount Coronet they're probably endangered. Insurgence has members all over the country and Atrum was wandering around the global terminal for hours. And yet, somehow, he hasn't been discovered by their operatives. It's absurd."

"We need to take possession of Atrum," Lucian said. I opened my mouth to protest but Cassie beat me to it.

"Not a chance in hell!" she yelled in outrage, glaring daggers around the room. "From what I've heard, Atrum is just a victim in this. You've all treated him with distrust and suspicion even though he's done nothing wrong." Her face flushed and I noticed she looked guilty. "He doesn't need this… this interrogation!" Cassie looked furious and I took a stand next to her.

"I agree," James said, surprising us all. He turned to Lucian. "It's obvious Atrum doesn't have any memory of what happened so he isn't of any value. Presumably the only reason that Insurgence is looking for him is because they think he_does_remember. What's more, it would be wrong of us to take away a trainer's starter because of something he doesn't remember seeing." James stood beside me and Cassie. "I don't see the problem in letting them all go." Lucian pursed his lips and considered this. He turned to Looker who just shrugged in reply. A silence descended on the room and everyone in it. Cassie and I leaned forward in anticipation.

"Fine," he said with great reluctance. "But you'll have to check up with someone on a regular basis and we'll need to restore your trainer information to the database. And try not to have Atrum so conspicuous – keep him returned in urban areas."

"Yeah, okay," I mumbled eager to get everything done so Cassie and I could leave.

It didn't take long. I had done the same thing in Eterna while Atrum was still in a coma. I just had to run through everything again with one of the staff in the building.

"Okay," she said cheerily after typing some things into her computer. "You're all set to go. Have a great journey, Pokémon Trainer Sam." I nodded and walked towards the exit with Cassie right behind me. I walked fast and she almost had to run to keep up. James was waiting for us. I didn't know why; we had already got our pokémon back, returned to their pokéballs. I felt another flash of irritation and anger which I suppressed immediately.

"What is it?" I asked him. His expression was unreadable as usual though I noticed something like a flash of hurt in his eyes. He handed me some money and a few shiny disks.

"Here," he said with outstretched arm. "Take these. They might come in handy." I didn't even glance down at them.

"We don't need your-" Cassie grabbed them out of his hand, shooting me a quick glance before striding out the door. I glared at James one last time before I followed her out. The sun had set and I emerged in the darkened city, the monotone female voice hoping I enjoyed my visit to Vader Industries.

How wrong she was.

(-#-)

James stared. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, of worry. Raven stood by his side as always with a similar expression. Now that no one was around she let her emotions show. She pawed at James' side with obvious concern. She knew how he felt. She gave a sympathetic whimper. James tried a smile but ended up with a grimace. He patted Raven on the shoulder – the most he could manage. Any greater acknowledgement of his emotion and he feared he wouldn't be able to contain himself.

He couldn't remember ever being this affected by anyone before. It terrified him that Sam could worry him so much. Raven suddenly regained her composure and alerted James to someone else's presence.

"He is someone whom you know," a familiar voice uttered behind James. He didn't have to look behind him to tell it was Looker. He strolled up to stand beside James, the other side of him as Raven.

"You know me too damn well, Horace" James muttered, his eyes still fixed on the figures of Sam, Cassie and their pokémon – shrinking as they gained more and more distance from the building. Looker reacted angrily, glancing anxiously around the now empty hallway.

"Hey, you're not supposed to say my name in public!" he scolded. His accent was completely gone, his dialect one of Sinnoh origin.

"Please, as if anyone actually believed you were foreign. Mixing up grammatical structures doesn't fool anyone." Looker turned to James with a smug expression.

"It fooled you." James returned his smile with a much sadder one.

"I was young and naïve – as you damn well know." James paused for a moment before speaking again. "Thank you."

"For what? This?" Looker waved his arms around the expanse of the interior. "You did this without any help from me." James shook his head and searched for the right words.

"Not this. Thank you for…for…" Looker gave a smile that seemed to suit him. It transformed his face from looking like it was carved from granite into something much more human; kinder and almost parental. The lines around his face showed his age but there was no trace of weakness in it like one might expect. He nodded and wrapped one arm around James' shoulders after another quick glance around.

"Why did you do it?" James asked him. Looker tilted his head and considered the question.

"I've been an agent for over thirty years," he said at last. "In that time I've learned a hell of a lot of things. The one thing that's remained constant is this: trust your instincts. My gut told me I could trust you. It's generally right." James smiled and nodded. The two fell silent for a while, enjoying each other's company. James eventually sighed, knowing that while he didn't want the moment to end, there was something he had to do.

"Could you take Raven for a while?" he asked. The toxicroak by his side looked up sharply. Looker frowned.

"Why?"

"I've got to make a call." Looker paused, and then nodded. Whether or not he knew the implications of what James was going to do was unclear. His facial expression had returned to its stoic façade. He withdrew his arm and nodded curtly.

"Very well, Mr. James Jean Lores," he said, his accent returning. "I will am to go with your Raven." James looked down at his pokémon. He could sense her reluctance to leave him but nodded to her – silently assuring her it was going to be alright. The toxicroak finally relented and stalked over to Looker.

James watched them leave and turned to go the opposite way himself. He rode the elevator up to his office, locking the door behind him and closing the blinds. He righted the fallen chair and sat down, swivelling it to face the desk. The phone on the wood seemed so ominous and he stared at it for what seemed like hours. Then James gulped and picked it up. With shaking hands, he dialled a number. He silently prayed that no one would answer and he would be forced to hang up. It would only delay what needed to be done though. Someone picked up the phone and spoke.

"Yes? Who is it?"

"It's me." There was no answer and James tried again. "Hello? Are you there?"

"Yes, I'm just…surprised. I mean…we haven't spoken for sixteen years."

"I know, I know. And I get that we thought that was for the best but…there's been some developments." There was a sigh from the other end.

"Is this about the Insurgence group?" James couldn't help but smile.

"Nothing gets past you."

"Well, is it?"

"No. It's about Sam." There was silence. A bleak, oppressive silence that emanated from the phone and threatened to consume James. Finally, two words were spoken from the other end.

"I see."

(-#-)

The figure watched. It watched Sam and Cassie as they left the building. It watched them go to the pokémon centre and book a room. It watched them release their pokémon again.

It also watched James. It watched him talk to Looker. It watched him make the call. It watched him talk to the person on the other end.

It watched, swinging its purple tail and narrowing its eyes. Because as it watched, it noticed something. One of the humans, an employee from the building. He was nervous. Very nervous in fact – sweating profusely, jumping at every sudden noise and darting his eyes back and forth. He finished his shift and left. He didn't say goodbye to anyone and got in his car. He drove fast and parked outside the city, next to the lake.

The car pulled up and the human got out, dialling a number on a cell phone. Every time it rang the human became even more nervous. When someone finally picked up the phone he let out a sigh of relief.

"What is it?" another voice said, sounding gruff and bad tempered. "You were warned not to call this number until we sent you a message."

"I know, I know, I know but something happened. Something big- huge has happened. There was an absol in the building and the trainer's name was Sam. I don't know what happened because I mean it was halfway through- I was almost done my shift and and I was tired and… Well, the point is I found it! I found the absol – and its trainer! Hello? Are you still there? Hello?"

"Hello? I can't hear you! Hello? Hello? Damn it, it's just static!" A strange feeling struck the human. He stared at the phone, apparently broken. He gulped and was suddenly overcome with terror and a sensation he had never experienced. He gasped and dropped the phone, the increasingly angry demands emerging from it still ringing in his ears. An aura of light appeared before him and he took a step back, yelping when he tripped over backwards.

The man landed on the cold wet ground beside the lakeshore. A couple of rocks bit into his skin but he didn't even realise. His wide eyes were fixed on the sight before him. An eerie sequence of lights and sounds mesmerised him. He lay there on the muddy ground, petrified and awestruck.

Two purple eyes appeared in the centre of the light and a strange feline figure stepped forward, floating in the air. It locked eyes with the man but instead of fear, he felt serenity. It was several seconds before he realised he didn't know where he was. That didn't matter though. As long as he knew where he should be he was fine. He knew his name, he knew where he lived and worked and, most important of all, he knew he wasn't a member of any group called Insurgence.

He stood up, a dopey smile on his face. He got in his car and drove off, entirely unaware of anything unusual or significant about an absol.

The figure watched him leave and turned its attention to the phone on the ground. It was still blaring belligerent threats from the other line. The figure narrowed its deep purple eyes and raised one limp arm. It slowly squeezed its three digits together and crushed the phone with a resounding crash. Then it was gone. It had other places to be, other things to destroy, other people that had to have their memories altered. And it needed to delete Sam from the database again. For it did not only watch, but protect.

The figure protected.

Mewtwo protected. And it would continue to do so. For as long as it took.


	19. Secondary

_Beta-Readers: Veradon and OnlineWarriror094._

* * *

**Chapter 19: Secondary**

* * *

**Camazotz**

There's nothing like it. Nothing.

It's subtle at first, at least for the first few minutes afterwards. Then you start to get a reaction. It comes in stages, I think. You know when it starts to work. It doesn't make sense from a biological sense, I know, but you can _feel_ it. You can feel it coursing through your veins, slowly surging through your body. Nothing can stop its path; it's relentless in its intoxication.

You start to get a reaction, oh yes. Whatever was bothering you just stops. It doesn't vanish as such but becomes numb. It's pushed away to the far corner of your mind and doesn't bother you. It ceases to matter – everything does. You melt into a permanent state of distraction – immune to all the horror and pain and torment. You don't care anymore.

Then the final stage comes and it hits you. Waves of euphoria envelop you and for a moment it overwhelms you entirely.

You have no identity. You are one with the bliss you feel. You have no body, no mind, no concerns.

Eventually the unimaginable serenity recedes enough for you to remember where you are.

A flash of disappointment always accompanies the realisation that you exist outside the drug. The effects are still there though they begin to slowly fade over the course of the next few hours.

Senses shift between blurring beyond recognition and becoming so clear, so clear.

"_Camazotz what do you think?"_

"_Oh, I don't know, man. Nine?"_

Things rush past so slowly. Everything is contradicted but you don't even notice. You don't even seem to go anywhere – the whole world moves around you and you just float along for the ride with a smile on your face and a song in your heart.

A good song too. Something by The Beatles maybe…

Events just breeze past and you endure them happily. You don't always know what's going on and sometimes you zone out completely. You never know where you go when you're not here but I think it must be somewhere nice. Somewhere that isn't here.

It starts to fade eventually. You never do know how long it'll last. Of course, when you know how to make it then you have an unlimited supply. When you feel the effects start to wear off, when you start to shake, to sweat, to panic, then you can just repeat the process.

There is _nothing_ like it.

(-*-)

"…not sure what to tell them, Cassie."

"Neither do I. I'm not sure how much they know. I mean, should we even tell them about Atrum at all?"

"I don't think they need to know when not even we know the details. I just don't know what to say to Atrum."

"Look, it's just… Let's just get through the gym battle. After we leave Eterna we can talk to Atrum and sort everything out with him and the other pokémon. Until then we focus on Gardenia."

"That's your solution? Ignore the problem?"

"At this point in time I don't care about Atrum, Lucian, the TMs we got from James or the fact that we may be the target of a terrorist organisation. All I care about is getting my second gym badge. When that's done we'll worry about everything else. We postponed it so far and we can sure keep doing it."

"Okay. Woah, how long has Camazotz been there? Is he listening to us?"

"I don't think so. He doesn't look like he's paying attention… I think we're fine."

"Well, maybe we should go, just in case he realises what we're talking about."

"This about that zubat-phobia, isn't it?"

"Wobbuffet."

"_Where?_ ...That was mean."

"That was me proving a point."

"Fine. Let's go."

…

…

…

If someone is born both deaf and mute, what language do they think in?

Just something to consider.

Wait, did something just happen?

(-*-)

"Have you been listening to anything I said?" I stumbled out from the haze and mist of ecstasy into the partial reality of the world outside. I heard Rose speak so softly, like a whimper, like a whisper, like a cloud, like a-

"Camazotz!" A shout drew my attention back to the budew. I gave him a lopsided grin and spoke in a voice that sounded very strange.

"Yeah, man?" I said. My voice was so weird. It deserved to be laughed at so I burst out in a fit of giggles. It seemed to confuse the roselia so I tried to stop – reducing it to the occasional snigger. Wait, he was budew, wasn't he.

"I asked if you knew what happened earlier. About why we were questioned by psychics in a strange building. The humans didn't mention anything last night."

"Dunno, man," I muttered after a moment. The thought did not intrigue me since I figured it was about Atrum. Thankfully I didn't have to worry about that anymore. "Maybe they thinkin' we're terrorists or somethin'. So what're we doin' now?"

"The next thing is the gym," I heard Sam. Everyone was together now, in our usual groups in a room like the ones we get at the pokémon centre. Midnight stood at the forefront of the pokémon with Atrum and Alice at either side of her. Tempest, Rose and I were at the other side and Seth growled in the corner as he sharpened his claws. I had no idea how much time had passed but I realised I was apparently deep in conversation with Tempest. He was speaking avidly and I nodded where appropriate even though I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Then, you see, you take the muffin out of the oven. And there you have it, chap."

"Gracias, Tempest. That one was botherin' me for a while now."

"Now," Sam began to say. Tempest and I both diverted our attention towards him. "I know you must have a lot of questions about what happened."

"Damn right," Seth shot up. Sam only heard an angry snarl and faltered momentarily. Cassie jumped in.

"It doesn't matter what happened," she said. "What matters is that it's over and we're all together. Now that we've rested we should challenge the gym. It's grass type so we shouldn't have that much trouble with the leader." Sam turned to Cassie and looked like he was about to say something, but she just shook her head and that was it.

"Okay everyone," Cassie said. "Get ready. We're going to fight Gardenia."

(-*-)

_We all live in a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine_

It's fading now – ever so slightly. The blackouts have dropped in frequency and I have a better understanding of what's going on. The others seem to react best to this time; I'm almost near lucid at this stage.

_All you need is love, all you need is love, love is all you need_

Even so everything remains out of focus somehow. Images rush by at times and songs invade my consciousness, burrowing deep into my brain and repeating themselves. Sometimes they blast so loudly I can't hear anything, other times I can only hear them if I concentrate. That's just me of course. As I said, different people have different reactions.

_Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it's all right_

I feel a little nervous now. Now that I've regained my senses a little I've remembered things – started to anyway. Names pop out at me sometimes: Cruzita, Carlos, Juan. I push them down. I'm still able to do that much.

The bleak horrific reality of life hasn't robbed me of that pleasure. Not yet.

(-*-)

"Heads or tails," Cassie asked. We stood in front of the Eterna City gym. A pleasant flowery scent wafted out from within and there was the occasional person ambling in or out. Rose seemed to be drawn to the grass gym and I tapped him on the shoulder before he started to walk there.

"This will be fun," Seth muttered in his usual sadistic tone of someone who is the definition of "someone you don't want to run in to in a dark alley".

"Heads," Sam replied at last. Cassie tossed the coin into the air and caught it. She briefly examined it but paused.

"Did we say the winner would have to go first or the loser?" Sam fell silent.

"Fuck this," I heard Seth mutter. He strode forwards past the others towards the gym. Rose and Alice shrunk back as he approached and Sam called out to him. Seth ignored them all; his head bent low, his tail flame blazing. He charged through the electric doors and walked through without pausing. The rest of us took a moment to process what had happened.

"Ah, hell no," Sam mumbled as he rushed after him. Cassie gulped as she followed suit – staying close to the other trainer as possible – and us pokémon entered the building after them.

The odour of plants and flowers was mush stronger inside the building; it was almost suffocating. Midnight and Atrum swayed – their sense of smell much more acute than mine. The gym was large and open with various trees scattered around the entire complex. There might have been a skylight in the tall circular ceiling but I couldn't be sure. I was good, but there was only so much I could discern if I couldn't see.

"Ooh, look there's a giant window in the ceiling." Thankfully, I have Atrum here to fill me in on the details by stating the obvious. I could feel the stares of the people and the gym trainers.

For the next few minutes I contented myself with hanging around the other pokémon and ignoring the suspicion of the people. Midnight watched over us and I noticed Alice and Atrum with her. They had started talking again recently – after Seth came along. I guess they realised their squabble was less important than the possibility of a charmeleon slaughtering us in our sleep. The aforementioned charmeleon was up by the gym leader with Sam and Cassie.

"This oughta be fun," I heard Rose mutter.

"On the contrary, my dear Rose," Tempest replied. "I am quite worried about Seth's reaction when we commence the battle." Rose groaned.

"This will _never_ get easier." Sam turned to us and motioned.

"Well, I suppose we're first," Atrum commented. Alice wished him good luck. Midnight didn't but she did give him a terse nod. Clearly they weren't best friends again.

Midnight and Alice retreated to the side of the gym with Cassie and I fluttered after them. It was strange just having the four of us. I mean, we all seemed to miss the others already. Cassie kept glancing nervously around and toyed with the feather in her hair – obviously feeling anxious without Sam around. Alice and Midnight both watched Atrum intently (although probably for different reasons) and Alice leaned forward as she did so. I missed Rose and Tempest and the others. I even missed Seth. I didn't like him and I didn't trust him but he was a part of this team now. He was a part of my life.

Madre de Dios, the group's been together for about three weeks now and we're already all hopelessly dependant on the others' presence. I hate to think about what would happen we ever split up. Everyone would fall apart – it would be a catastrophe.

Gardenia sent out her first pokémon: a roselia. The battle began.

(-*-)

Readers, I would love to tell you a story. A long and epic saga detailing Sam's battle with the second gym leader. I wish I could regale you of the majestic struggle waged against the foes of grass. Of the wars and fights and explosions that shook the very earth itself.

But I can't tell you that. Why? Because that's not how it happened. All thanks to our newest team-mate.

Seth destroyed Gardenia. In minutes.

He strode out into the centre of the battlefield in a whirling inferno that surrounded the roselia. The cries of anguish she gave were so loud and sharp they made me wince. Then, at the moment when the screams began to crescendo, Seth rushed forward and slashed her across the throat. She uttered a horrible gagging sound and fainted instantly. Everyone gulped in unison.

Gardenia sent out her second and third pokémon – with similar results. Seth wouldn't allow Sam to return him so the battle was the shortest I had ever experienced. Sam was presented with the usual money and gym badge and retreated to the side with us while Gardenia healed her own pokémon. Seth sauntered over to us wearing that evil smirk he loved to show.

"That," he said to Midnight as he cracked his knuckles and stretched, "is how you win a battle."

"You managed to beat a bunch of grass types," Midnight shot back, apparently repressing her rage. "If you meant to impress me you've failed."

"Hey," I heard Rose mutter. Everyone's attention was fixed upon Midnight and Seth. The charmeleon turned and grinned.

"They were more of a challenge than _you_ were," he said. Midnight roared and arched her back. Seth replied in kind as he swiped the air with his claws and blew embers from his nostrils. They circled each other despite protests from us.

"Calm down, Midnight!"

"He's not worth it!"

"The llamas are eating the merchandise!" The last shout from Atrum made everyone pause and look at him. Midnight raised an eyebrow at him.

"What was _that_?" I heard Alice ask him as he fidgeted nervously.

"I wanted to stop them from fighting," he mumbled.

"And that was the only thing you could think of to shout?"

"Well it worked, didn't it?" Seth gave one last snarl before going off to sulk or plot our demise or something. Sam didn't bother returning him since he'd just break out again.

I swayed suddenly, almost falling right out of the air before I caught myself. Everything turned blurry for a moment as I fought a sudden feeling of dizziness. The not-quite-fight between Seth and Midnight had made me anxious. I was starting to sweat now and was firmly in reality. I needed a fix. I would have to wait though. It was our turn now.

(-*-)

The trees rose up around the battlefield, the sweet scent of flowers and honey wafting through the arena. There, amidst her element, the roselia stood tall. At least, tall in a metaphorical sense. Alice was called out first while Midnight and I stood at either side of our trainer.

Alice was a little more focused and confident in battle than she was outside of it but even so she shook slightly as she approached the grass pokémon. The roselia motioned her forwards.

"It's okay," she said encouragingly, "it's just a battle." I was surprised at this show of affection but I guess the gym pokémon must develop a mentor complex after a while. They see so many challengers, it's only natural they should start to care about the pokémon; start to encourage them to be the best they can be.

Then again, this was a gym battle and they were ultimately opponents.

The roselia swept up one flowery arm and scattered a cloud of golden spores in Alice's direction.

"Alice!" Cassie yelled, projecting her voice with her hands. "Jump and turn left for a quick attack!" The noise made me wince and I had to remind myself not to fly so close to her during battles.

Alice avoided the attack as per Cassie's instructions; somersaulting up as the stun spore dissipated under the gentle breeze from the air conditioning. The roselia acted immediately, apparently not dissuaded by Alice's acrobatics. She darted towards the sneasel and shot out a poison sting.

I heard my trainer's orders again and Alice snatched the purple dart out of the air as she tumbled to the ground. Alice rolled slightly and turned to the roselia where shEGH ISRNOR NEEHMEI ATNE

(-*-)

As annoying and loud as screech might be for others, I can guarantee it's infinitely worse when you're a zubat.

Ouch.

(-*-)

I was blind – even more than usual. You know when you're blinded by a bright light and you can't see for a few moments. Well, that's what I go through when there's a loud enough sound. Except I don't really have any other senses to fall back on. So for a few moments there was absolutely nothing.

There was no sight, sound, touch, taste, and little smell. With my senses otherwise occupied I felt a strange sense of absence. I couldn't perceive the outside world at all. It left me with a feeling of contentment and serenity. I was outside of reality yet again. I was separated from the pain and torment of life. All I had was my memories…

Memories.

My _memories_.

The things I wanted to escape from.

Oh Dios.

"_You're just leaving?"_

I need to wake up now…

"_You know how much I hate zubats."_

I need to wake up. Now.

"_You abandoned our gang you traitor!"_

Wake up, Camazotz. Come on. Wake up, wake up, WAKE UP! SOMEBODY MAKE IT STOP!

(-*-)

_Hey Jude, don't make it bad, take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart then you can start to make it better…_

(*)

…

…

…

"…so sorry, Camazotz. I-I just didn't think."

"S'okay, Cassie." Wait, that was my voice. The torturous throbbing in my ears diminished slightly and I started to regain my sense of where I was. I felt soft human skin on my own and realised Cassie was holding me in her hands. She stared at me with obvious concern. Sam was nowhere to be found although the other pokémon were peering at me. My echolocation started to return to normal.

The memories had returned now, in full force. They attacked me like mental daggers. I could hear the hateful voices; feel the pain inflicted upon me once more. I couldn't take this. I needed a fix. But first I needed this battle to end.

Feeling like the world was in flux, I twisted my body and tumbled from my trainer's grasp. She cried out but I flew away.

"Camazotz!" she yelled and tried to catch me. I dodged her outstretched fingers and flew towards the battlefield.

"You need to rest!"

"Maybe you should lie down." I could scarcely comprehend their existence let alone obey the commands they may or may not have actually said. I was starting to go into withdrawal and it was not pleasant. I moved around to try and relieve the burning scratching sensation beneath my skin – to no avail. There must have been buckets of sweat pouring off me as I flew erratically through the air. Even my wing beats were uneven and irregular. I twitched randomly and imagined sounds. I _really_ needed a fix.

"All right," I mumbled to myself, anticipating a budew or cherubi to fight. "Let's do this." The ringing in my ears meant I could barely hear my trainer so it wasn't hard to disobey what I presumed was her shouting at me to return. I hovered in place until something got worked out and Gardenia released her next pokémon.

"Hijo de puta," I muttered as a simisage emerged on to the arena. This might be more difficult than I had expected. The monkey pokémon adopted a stern expression as he faced me. He stretched his neck from side to side and flexed the fingers on each hand. What might have been the flicker of a smile crossed his face and he pounced. He leapt up into the air and slashed at me with surprisingly jagged fingertips.

I slapped them away with one wing and tumbled sideways. As the simisage flew past me I quickly dealt him a leach life, biting into the flesh and foliage. Needless to say it tasted odd.

The primate winced and rolled to the ground, coming to a stop with one hand extended. He turned back to me and leered which apparently affected me.

I dived at the simisage and tried a lazy wing attack which he dodged with ease. He slammed the back of his hand into my relatively frail body. A burst of pain struck me as I was sent flying. I desperately flapped my wings to try and right myself in the air, only for a furry tail to knock me off balance again.

It was only when I regained my balance that I realised something. The simisage kept glancing at me and frowning. He was cautious. My actions confused him and he wasn't sure what to expect from me. I was too unpredictable.

I could use that to my advantage.

Opening my mouth wide and preparing myself for the impending pain in my ears, I screamed. I yelled every kind of profanity in both languages as loud as my lungs could manage. I ignored the throbbing of my ears as I did so and dived at the simisage.

He stared at me with his mouth agape, paralysed in disbelief at what he was seeing. The idea of dodging didn't seem to enter his mind and I slammed into his chest with my mouth open and my teeth bared. As the pokémon tumbled into the grass I ravaged him with my fangs. He tried to grab me and I went limp, rolling off him and shooting him with a supersonic as I crawled away.

He yelled out and stumbled around the arena, tripping over his tail and grabbing at me frantically with both hands. I twisted and tumbled through the air, always just out of his grasp, all the while yelling and taunting him.

Even when the simisage snapped out of its confusion it couldn't get near me. I utilised every aspect of my wild unpredictability. I regularly just dropped out of the sky altogether. Eventually, one last leach life to the throat garnered a screeching cry and the grass pokémon fell to the ground.

The stress of the battle was a momentary distraction but when it ended everything came rushing back, worse now. As the symptoms grew worse I suddenly began to feel…strange. My senses grew erratic and my echolocation blinked in and out of existence. The pain began to recede and I felt a peculiar stretching feeling all over my body. I tried to call out but there was something wrong with my voice. My vocal chords seemed to grow bigger and I felt my wingspan increase too. Everything went numb and I was suddenly awash with contentment.

And then, everything faded away, and I began to see.

See. Vision. Sight. All words I had no use for before suddenly became relevant. Before my brand new eyes I witnessed an entire unknown world. Colours enveloped me in a spectacle of images and I remembered nonsense words before. Greens and reds and yellows of all different hues. I never imagined there could possibly be so many – on every surface and covering every object.

I spied a flower swaying in the air conditioning and felt my eyes flood with tears. Such a simple thing – one which would never draw anyone's attention. I had known about movement before – perceived it with echolocation – but to actually _see_ it happen was so much better. You can't possibly imagine the awe inspiring sight of a flower, gently moving. To gaze upon the vibrant lucent shades, to witness a petal tumble off towards the ground, catching the wind as it does so. It is magical. And as the euphoria of evolution began to fade, I cried out to the world.

"Puta madre. I have eyes. I can see! Oh, Dios mio, I can see, I can- OH FUCK, THE LIGHT – IT BURNS!" My newly formed eyes weren't accustomed to light. The streams of sunlight burned holes in my vision and assaulted me with searing, scalding white hot rays of agony. They incinerated every sense of self and I swear I lost consciousness, falling into the merciful blackness as I screamed myself into oblivion.

"Camazotz, are you _only zubats."_

"Come on, Camazotz, answer me _you traitor!"_

"_You dead to us _pokémon centre?"

"I _hate_ you_ love_ me _don't leave _him!"

Every memory seemed to emerge and grow in size and intensity. They mingled with reality until every emotion, every sensation and every thought, became one with the present.

It was terrifying.

"¡Fuera de mi puta camino!" I shrieked, falling back to Spanish since I couldn't clear my head enough to pronounce English. I tumbled from whatever surface I was on and started to beat my wings. I had to get out, to leave and to retreat to the sanctuary of darkness for another dose of the drug.

I squeezed my eyes closed and kept them shut but that didn't stop the tears from cascading down my face. Yet another new phenomenon. My eyes still burned with the intensity of fire and my head pounded so badly I could scarcely think. What thinking abilities I did have were focused entirely on the drug. The pain was excruciating; constant and eternal. There is _nothing_ like it.

I needed a fix. I needed a fix.

I needed a fix.

(-*-)

Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix

(-*-)

Every sound morphed into a screech that pained me to listen. The persistent noises of the city transformed into a cacophony of horrifying blares and bursts of sound – each one petrifying me, overwhelming me with terror. The few times I braved the new visual world by opening my eyes didn't last long. I saw the warped images of things that weren't really there which seemed to occupy every inch of the area. Space bended and objects changed. It was completely different to what I could sense through my echolocation.

Even my senses of smell and touch rebelled against me – sending me sensations that weren't real weren't real weren't real.

They're not real. Nothing is real anymore.

(-*-)

Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix Gotta get a fix

(-*-)

I could see Cruzita flying beside me, gazing into my eyes with her own. Is this on purpose?

"This is not what it appears to be," she mumbled cryptically in the voice of Juan. Oh Dios.

(-*-)

I don't remember what happened or where I got the drug but I got it and…and…

Ah.

Mucho mejor.

(-*-)

"_Camazotz, where did you go?"_

"_We were so worried about you!"_

…

"_He seems to be fine now. Maybe he just freaked out when he evolved?"_

"_That's bullshit!" _

…

"_Camazotz? It's me, Alice… Are you okay? …That's fine, you uh, you don't have to talk to me, I guess, if you don't want to. I…I just wanted to make sure you were…okay… I, uh, guess I'll go. You don't want to talk to me…"_

(-*-)

There is nothing like it.

I was back to floating in a pleasant oblivion of serenity. Every sound and thought added to my euphoria. My sight made it even better than before.

Though there was something nagging at me at the back of my mind. Someone. Someone I knew.

A zubat? Yes that was it: a zubat. Some zubat I used to know.

What was her name again…?

Began with a 'c'…

It's on the tip of my tongue…

(-*-)

_Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends, mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends, _

_ooh, I get high with a little help from my friends, yes I get by _

_with a little help _

_from my friends, with a little help _

_from my friends from my friends from my friends from my friends from my_


	20. Homecoming

_Beta-Reader: Veradon._

* * *

**Chapter 20: Homecoming**

* * *

**Cassie**

The simple object perplexed us all. It was disk-shaped; shiny and a bright bluish-white colour. Small enough to fit in the palm of one hand. It was brand new and reflected the light. One side was printed with a bar code and words and digits too small to be read. It was a technical machine: a TM.

And we had no idea how to use it.

"What does the writing say?" Sam asked me as we stood under the shade of an oak tree, just outside the outskirts of Eterna City. The buildings had vanished a while back – clinging to the shelter of a city as soon as nature began to reappear. There was the occasional house but that was it and even they would start to disappear as we approached the mountain.

We had stopped to rest for a while next to a grove of trees – a small lake nearby. That was ten minutes ago and we still had no idea how to use the damned TM.

"I can't read it," I muttered after squinting at the illegible phrases on the disk. I handed it to Sam and he examined it in turn, flipping it over and scrutinizing every side. I glanced away fleeing slightly embarrassed and very angry. Surely someone should have included an instruction manual. Everyone probably thought it was just so obvious. I scowled. Sudden sniggering drew my attention away to where Seth was leaning against the tree and grinning at our efforts. I gritted my teeth in fury.

"Damn it, he used to have a trainer," I muttered. "I bet he knows how to work this thing."

"Probably," Sam admitted, "but even if we could understand him he wouldn't tell us."

"Yeah, right. I bet he thinks it's funny to watch us struggle like this." Movement caught my eye and I spotted Atrum as he wandered up to us and grabbed the TM with his mouth. His face morphed into a thoughtful expression as he ran his tongue over the disk. Then he swallowed it.

Sam yelled out and we both tried to stop him but it happened so fast. Atrum just stood there for a moment before Atrum burped and wandered off. We both stood with our mouths agape.

"Do you…" Sam started to ask. "Do you think it worked?" Atrum slashed at a tree with the scythe on his forehead.

"Well," I answered, "that looked like aerial ace. I guess it did."

"That can't have been how it's supposed to work.

"Hey, if it works then it works. They should have included an instruction manual." I reached into my pocket and grabbed another TM – a green one this time. It contained grass knot and Gardenia had given it to us.

"Go find Rose," I said.

(-#-)

**Midnight**

I scanned the surrounding area with narrowed eyes as the sun shone down from its place high up in the sky. My ears twitched back and forth, alerting me to any noise nearby. I led the group as we walked through the grass and I treaded lightly, each paw placed down carefully. I glanced back methodically to make sure Cassie and Alice were both fine. Everything seemed to be okay but I wasn't going to take any chances. Not after everything that happened.

Cassie was keeping secrets from me. I knew the reason we were questioned by psychics. I knew it was because of Atrum. Cassie knew too and yet she hadn't said anything. I understood why she hadn't told the other pokémon but she should have talked to me about it. How was I supposed to protect her if she didn't tell me these things?

Although…

I already knew about Atrum and didn't tell her. But that was different. She didn't need to know. I was going to take care of it myself and she didn't need to be involved. But now she is. And so is Alice. _Everyone_ is involved now.

I see Sam and Cassie when they look at the absol now. It's all suspicious glances and worried expressions as they mutter conspiratorially with each other. They had put off confronting him as far as I knew but it wouldn't be long before they would have to talk to him.

This entire thing was a disaster. I was only slightly wary of letting Sam come along on this expedition. After all, Cassie probably needed some human contact and having a friend would be good for her. If I had any idea what a catastrophe it would turn into I would have dragged my trainer away the moment I spotted that absol emerging from the slopes of Mount Coronet.

And I didn't even know exactly what was going on. Sure I knew the vague idea and that it was all Atrum's fault but there were a lot of things I wasn't sure of. Then again, I didn't need to know. All I needed to know was how to get rid of him. Or least ensure he was no longer a threat. It was a long-term plan and would require time. Until then, I had to put up with him because Sam wouldn't let me abandon him and Cassie wouldn't let me abandon Sam. It was damned inconvenient.

I stopped where I was and raised my head. I sniffed the air, catching a scent. A human, male, was approaching. He smelt strongly of fish and I turned up my nose as I turned away. He didn't have any pokémon with him but that didn't mean he wasn't a possible threat. It just meant it would be more unpredictable to deal with him.

He emerged into the line of vision, smiling as he shielded his eyes from the sun with one hand. His smile faltered when he caught sight of me but he asked for a battle anyway. It wasn't until he released his pokémon and stood back that I relaxed. If he was going to attack then he would have done it already.

I would have loved to battle and calm my nerves but Sam went first and called out Rose. The fisherman released a magikarp which began to flounder around pathetically.

Rose wandered out to the battlefield and started to dispatch the fish pokémon. I turned my attention away. It was probably fine for me to relax a little more. With Cassie and Sam preoccupied with the other trainer and Rose in the middle of a battle, the others had gathered to rest and talk to Camazotz.

"Did it hurt?" Atrum asked as he stared at Camazotz in his new form. I admired him as well from my place a few steps away.

He had grown to roughly twice the size of a zubat and his wingspan was now large and impressive enough to seem intimidating. His ears had shrunk with the addition of two miniscule beady eyes on the top of his head. His mouth was enormous – taking up most of his head now. A thin layer of razor-sharp teeth adorned each side of his mouth with four sharp fangs completing the scary image. His hefty tongue hung from his mouth slightly as he gently slid it over his teeth. The two long tendrils of his previous form had transformed into something approaching talons. It was an impressive change.

Camazotz shook his head in response to Atrum's question. His tongue rolled back and forth as he did so.

"Nah," he said loudly. "It was amazing. Such a rush. You got no idea, man." Alice whispered something in Atrum's ear and he piped up again.

"Why do you have your eyes closed?" he asked.

"Well 'cause I only got them yesterday and I got to let them adjust to light."

"And how long will that take?" Tempest asked.

"I dunno. Couple of weeks maybe?" I was surprised no one had asked my opinion. After all, I had gone through evolution long before Camazotz had. Then I realised something. They hadn't asked me because I wasn't there to ask. I had let myself grow distant and absent. Alice had even pointed it out to me but I didn't realise the extent of my distance. Even as I thought of this I was on the outside of the conversation looking in.

This is what Atrum had driven me to. He had removed me from the group…

No. This wasn't Atrum's fault. This was my own doing. I had allowed myself to leave the group. I had been so concerned with protecting Alice and Cassie that I had put myself in this position. Well that was not going to continue.

"It feels pretty weird to be a golbat, man." Camazotz mumbled. "I'm kinda disappointed with the colour green. I just thought it would be better somehow."

"It was pretty strange for me to evolve as well," I said as I walked over to join the conversation. I put on a friendly smile and I found I didn't even have to fake it. All four of them looked up, with various reactions. Alice and Tempest both seemed pleasantly surprised and Atrum looked slightly nervous to have me here. Camazotz stared right past me and seemed to be examining a tree in the distance.

"It took a while to get used to," I continued, despite the lukewarm reaction. It felt good to talk to pokémon again.

"I can't wait until I evolve," Atrum piped up. We all fell silent and I groaned inwardly at Atrum's ignorance. Tempest stared at him with a perplexed expression.

"What?" Atrum asked, utterly unaware he had said anything wrong. A loud roar drew all our attention away (although Camazotz turned in the other direction).

"Oh crap!" Rose yelled up at the newly-released gyarados. It glared down at our budew team mate with a look of pure malevolence. Drops of spittle fell from its open mouth and its narrow eyes were fixed on Rose.

"I CAN HAS CHEESEBURGERS?" it bellowed with a voice like a roll of thunder. Rose stood motionless for a minute or so before mumbling a terrified squeaky reply.

"Uh…sure?" The gyarados bellowed again and slammed his head down on top of Rose. The budew screeched and vanished for a moment under the crest on the gyarados' forehead. His screams were cut short and as the gyarados pulled away we could all see Rose's unmoving figure in a small crater.

Atrum winced and Alice muttered, "Ouch" as Sam returned Rose to his pokéball.

"Atrum," he yelled, turning to us. "You're up!" Atrum didn't move. "Atrum. Atrum. Atrum!" He started to toy with a small pebble on the ground. "Fine then. Tempest, come on." Atrum immediately walked over to the field, provoking a groan of frustration from Sam. The act of defiance from Atrum was a little surprising but Alice sighed like it was a regular occurrence. Another thing I was ignorant of.

Tempest, Alice and I watched the battle between Atrum and the gyarados. I found myself examining the absol's battle style. He darted forward with the detached skill I had seen before. Every hit struck the gyarados at a critical point and it seemed like a sure victory. I could see him grinning and he started to grow more enthusiastic in his approach. He gained a ferocity which would have shocked me if I hadn't seen it before. Every hit was stronger, every cut deeper.

And then, Atrum paused. He stopped where he was – stationary – as he seemed to remember what he was doing. His eyes blinked furiously for a moment. Then he tensed his body and squeezed his eyes shut as he gritted his teeth. The aura of calculated viciousness vanished in a heartbeat and Atrum seemed to return to his usual clumsy self. He stumbled out of the way of the gyarados' tail but ended up face down in the dirt.

His attacks were awkward and missed a lot more as he lumbered around the battlefield with as much agility as a drunken snorlax. Still, the other pokémon was weakened and Atrum managed to finish him off with an aerial ace.

The transformation was eerily surreal. I wasn't the only observer either. From his spot by the oak tree Seth was gazing at Atrum, enraptured. He caught my eye and taunted me with a contemptuous smirk which I didn't reciprocate. I just narrowed my eyes slightly – my ears twitching back and forth of their own accord. With Atrum's display over Seth leaned back against the tree, toying with his everstone with one hand and defacing the tree bark with the claws of his other.

The sight of the charmeleon reminded me of the "truce" I had set with Atrum. It might be a good decision to honour it. After all…

Well, I suppose that _technically_ Atrum hasn't made any direct action against anyone. The only one he was openly hostile to was Sam and that wasn't a huge concern of mine. Seth, in contrast, was an obvious threat to everyone's wellbeing and I knew I should watch him closely. Atrum probably had an equal interest in keeping Seth in line. But that conversation could probably wait until later.

With the battle over Sam had released Rose and was waiting patiently until he regained consciousness. He always did that, Sam. No matter which of his pokémon had fainted he was always there when they woke up. He was always there to offer some kind words of encouragement.

"Sorry, Rose. I had no idea he had a gyarados. Don't worry though: you'll be fine. And with the new move you know you'll be knocking down gyarados all day long."

"Thanks, Sam." Rose was smiling as he waddled away. The embarrassing defeat was forgotten, as was the budew's strange tendency to always end up fighting a gyarados. His confidence was back. Sam smiled as well as he looked on with pride. He was a good trainer.

Nowhere near as good as Cassie but he would get there eventually.

I stopped Rose as he wandered past me and he looked up at me with a frown.

"You know, we've never really been introduced," I said, flashing him my friendliest grin. "I'm Midnight."

"Uh, right," he replied, looking slightly confused. I guess I didn't blame him: after all this time without speaking to him I was suddenly introducing myself.

"Sorry, I haven't talked to you before," I said to him. He shrugged.

"That's okay. The others have made sure I fit in."

"Yeah, I can see you've gotten close with Tempest and Camazotz."

"What can I say? They're the ones least likely to step on me."

"Well, I think the gyarados you keep running into have that under control anyway."

"Yeah it's the latest cologne: scent of gyarados chow."

"There's no need to be sarcastic." Rose's mouth split into a huge grin.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Oh nothing," he replied happily. "It's just nice to have it acknowledged." I smiled back, even though I didn't quite get the joke.

"It was great talking to you, Rose," I said.

"You too, Midnight," Rose replied as he went off to join Tempest and Camazotz. I decided I liked that budew.

We moved on and walked further towards the towering mountain range in the centre of the region. As we cleared the grass and trees its shape became more obvious. As we reached a bridge across a chasm it could be seen so clearly I could almost see moving creatures traversing the slopes.

We came across a few eager trainers but they were stronger near the mountain and the victories were hard fought. We lost a couple of times. Cassie did at least. With a team of four pokémon and both Seth and Atrum on his side, Sam didn't have much competition. I noticed he mostly avoided using Seth though. Cassie must have spoken to him about it.

I suddenly realised that I was leading the group again, way ahead of everyone else. Old habits. Or new habits in this case. I slowed my pace to match my trainer's – only slightly ahead of the other pokémon. As I did so my ears twitched. I glanced around and noticed Alice and Atrum arguing. I couldn't hear what they were saying but the gestures and raised whispers were obvious. I kept my eye on them until eventually Atrum seemed to relent and he wandered away from Alice.

I didn't slow my pace and I didn't show any emotion as he began walking beside me. He obviously had no idea what he was supposed to say. I had to stop myself from smiling as he squirmed under the pressure of conversation.

"So…" he mumbled, "yeah." I eventually decided to rescue him.

"Let's get a few things straight," I said firmly. I didn't even look at him, just kept my eyes in front of me. "We are not friends, I do not trust you and I will do everything I can to ensure you leave this group and never endanger Alice or Cassie." I fell silent.

"But…?" Atrum said, rather hopefully.

"But," I admitted begrudgingly, "Seth is the greater threat and our squabbles aren't doing anyone any good. So I…" I gritted my teeth. It was a monumental effort to say these words. "I am willing to agree to a truce." For the first time, I turned to Atrum and locked eyes with him. He actually flinched at the intensity of my stare. "But if you hurt Alice or Cassie in any way…" I showed him my teeth. Not to be confused with smiling. "…then all bets are off." I quickened my pace a little and left Atrum behind as I ambled over to Tempest, Rose and Camazotz, greeting them with a smile. I didn't say anything to him but he knew our conversation was over. I smiled to myself.

That went very well.

(-#-)

**Cassie**

The money was in my hand. I counted and recounted but I kept coming the same amount: very little. I pursed my lips and absentmindedly toyed with a strand of hair.

"This could be a problem," I muttered. I suppose it shouldn't have come to a surprise. We were running low on leaving Eterna and the battles hadn't supplemented the money like I had hoped. The trainers were tougher here and didn't even have much money. The amount of items we had used up was worrying me as well. Sam had given the last revive to Rose and we were all out of super potions. Although with Alice finding new and delicious recipes for us every night, food wasn't much of a concern there were other problems that I hadn't thought of.

Namely, I was running out of clothes.

I frowned and swore. Sam was sitting on the ground reading a book and I made my way over to him. My shadow fell across his vision and he glanced up.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"We need money," I said bluntly "The trainers here are no good and we're running out of supplies."

"That doesn't matter," he replied. "We're close to Celestic Town." A momentary feeling of confusion arose before I remembered. Sam grew up in Celestic. I felt a little embarrassed at forgetting something like that. I hoped he didn't pick up on it.

"You forgot didn't you?" Damn it.

"How do you do that?" I asked him with mild disbelief. He smiled and shrugged in unison as he grabbed the bag beside him stuffed the book in to it. "Will we keep going?"

"I don't think so," I said, crossing my arms and staring at him with an expression of. "You need to talk to Atrum. You've avoided it long enough. He's probably terrified." We both looked over to where Atrum was sitting calmly with Alice. Alice presented him with a berry which he gulped down happily. I turned back to Sam. "On the inside, of course." He seemed reluctant but one glance at me and I think he realised I wouldn't back down. He eventually nodded and got to his feet.

"Come on," he said to me. I didn't move and he looked at me

"What? He's not _my_ starter." He frowned at me, crossing his blue eyes. I felt guilty under his disapproving gaze. Damn it.

"Alright fine," I mumbled. "I'll provide moral support." I couldn't help but feel a little nervous as we both walked over to Atrum. It was stupid, I know, but I wasn't sure what I was going to say. Alice and Atrum both glanced up as we approached.

"Alice," I said, "would you mind talking to Midnight for a while?" Alice nodded in understanding and began to walk away with Atrum following her.

"Atrum," Sam called out. I heard Atrum give a derisive snort in reply, not looking back. Sam ran one hand through his hair in frustration. Alice mumbled something to Atrum and he sighed as he turned and sat down facing us.

"Thanks, Alice," I said. She nodded once and joined Midnight with the other pokémon.

"Ab," Atrum said curtly. Sam and I exchanged a glance. We stood next to each other and stared down at the absol.

"Well go on," I told Sam. He shot me a glance.

"Atrum," he began, "I- _we_ just wanted to make sure you were alright." Atrum stared at Sam with a bored expression on his face. He yawned as Sam continued. "I know you've been through a lot – even if you can't remember it. I just want you to remember that I'm your trainer and I'm here for you." Atrum gave a comically exaggerated sigh and started to avoid Sam's gaze. He looked everywhere but at his trainer and ignored Sam's frantic attempts to make eye contact. I was beginning to rethink my tolerance towards Atrum.

"Atrum, look at me!" Sam said firmly. Not that it had any effect. "Why won't you listen to me? What am I doing wrong? Just…how can I get you to not hate me?"

"Sol." Sam almost screamed. He rubbed his temples, obviously frustrated and annoyed.

"Why do you hate me?" he asked his starter. Atrum fell silent for the longest time. He tilted his head and seemed to consider the question. Then he shrugged.

"Sol?" I jumped in when I thought Sam might explode.

"It doesn't matter what he thinks of you," I told him, trying to be as sensitive as I could. It probably just came out sounding marginally less ruthless but I tried. "You're not going to be able to befriend everyone you meet, Sam. I don't know why this bothers you so much." My moderately heartfelt speech fell on deaf ears as Sam just sunk to his knees and stared at Atrum.

"Just tell me what you want from me," he pleaded. Atrum backed off, showing what could have been either panic or disdain. Neither option was great. I was starting to worry about Sam. I had never seen him this emotional – I didn't think he _could_ be this emotional. Atrum continued to ignore his trainer and Sam thumped the ground with one hand.

"Atrum!" he said angrily. "Listen to me!" Atrum's head turned lightning quick, his stance instantly changing. His claws dug into the ground, his eyes narrowed, his scythe-like tail froze where it was as it glinted in the sun. His bored defiance had vanished, his clumsy warmth stifled. He flashed us a view of his teeth; sharp as razors, white as snow. His eyes bored into us. I felt my very soul quiver as he subjected us to his penetrating stare. His eyes had lost their innocence; they were dark and cold and whispered the certainty of death.

Terror washed over me. I was paralysed with fear. My mind was filled with white noise and whispers and the sound of static growing louder and louder…

Atrum squealed, apparently realising where he was. He shook his head and backed away a few steps. The spell (if that's what you would call it) was broken. A quick glance at Sam revealed his pale face and wide, terrified eyes. He had had the same reaction. Atrum shot us both a guilty look before slinking away. We both watched him leave. I opened my mouth to speak but closed it again.

"What…?" Sam stammered. He turned to me. "Did you…?" I nodded wordlessly, afraid of babbling if I verbalised my feelings of abject fright. I gulped instead and we both turned to watch Atrum. He had joined the other pokémon who had lost interest in watching us. He stole a glance in our direction and I caught his eye. It was only for a moment before he turned away.

There was nothing in his eyes that indicated the monstrous sensation of a few moments ago. There was nothing abnormal, nothing suspicious.

And somehow, that was the most terrifying part of all.

(-*-)

The scyther raised her reptilian head and glared at the golbat in the air opposite her. She shrieked an insect cry and darted forward, twisting and turning as she slashed at Camazotz with her twin blades. I shouted orders from my position on the ground beside Sam and the other pokémon.

"Duck and roll! Circle behind her! Wing attack!" Camazotz moved lazily through the air, flapping his wings irregularly and flying like he was falling. It took a while to get used to Camazotz's new battle style but every pokémon was different. Midnight was calm and detached – battling with merciless precision. Alice was more cautious and tried not to stand still for very long. She darted around the battle field and rushed in to attack when necessary. Camazotz battled like he was drunk and that was fine too. It worked surprisingly well.

The scyther swivelled in midair and slashed at him again but Camazotz stopped flying abruptly on my command, falling a few feet before regaining his balance. The scyther screeched in surprise and waved her limbs frantically to stop her flight.

"Astonish! Fly up! Confuse ray! Wing attack!" The combination of attacks – perfectly timed – dealt the scyther one too many injuries and it plummeted to the ground where it groaned but otherwise didn't move.

Sam flashed me a smile like he did every time I won a battle. I resisted smiling through I did feel a rush of pride and satisfaction. It hadn't been an easy win. I called Camazotz over and held out my arm which he perched on. Sam grimaced and stepped back as the golbat descended. I shot him a glare and turned to Camazotz.

"Great work," I told him. He didn't look like he was listening but I said it anyway.

I felt the stare of another person and looked up to see the hiker I had been battling. I could tell by the look on his face that he would be trouble.

"You cheated!" he exclaimed as he marched over to us, his face puffed up and red as a tomato. "You must have!" Sam stepped forward to try and calm him down but I spoke first.

"Don't blame us for your own incompetence!" I berated him, scowling and crossing my arms as I stared him down. "If you lost it's because you didn't pay enough attention at whatever back alley night class you took to learn how to qualify as a trainer." I heard Sam sigh deeply and wondered why. The hiker's mouth twitched upwards into an ugly expression of rage. He clenched his fists and his face grew even redder. I unfolded my palm on the arm that still supported my golbat. "Now try and muster up the intelligence to reach into the pocket of that oversized pants you're wearing and grab some money. We'll count it for you if you can't remember what comes after the number nine." He was actually shaking with rage.

"If you think I'm going to give you anything you little bitch then you can-" A vicious guttural growl interrupted the man and he glanced down. Midnight prowled over to man and showed her teeth. The man gulped and handed us some money. Midnight growled again and he handed us some more.

"That was harsh," Sam muttered after the man had left. I shrugged, fiddling with the pigeot feather in my hair.

"He accused me of cheating," I replied. "No one accuses me of cheating. Now come on." It was only a few minutes walking to get to the entrance of Mount Coronet. We were confronted by a wall of rock; steep slopes that stretched across the horizon. The mountain was gargantuan and it obscured everything on the other side. The peaks of the range rose up farther than could be seen. The bleakness and finality of the mountain before us was foreboding.

The entrance was almost as bad.

It looked like a schism in the rock had been artificially widened just enough for people to enter. I was struck by the image of it being like a dark chasm stretching down in to the earth. The interior was just an unfathomable expanse of shadowy gloom that almost seemed to creep out into the daylight. I heard Sam gulp loudly and when I turned to him he was pale.

"It's just a cave," I scolded him. "Now…who wants to go in first?" He shot me a look. I turned to the pokémon. "Everyone who can see in the dark come to me." Camazotz, Alice and Midnight all wandered over, leaving the others. Sam and I exchanged a confused glance when Atrum didn't move.

"Yena!" Midnight barked at the absol. He blinked at her.

"Sol?" Midnight made a sound like a groan and Alice motioned for him to step forwards. Midnight shot Atrum a look as he joined us with a surprised smile.

Sam turned to look at me. I shrugged. Tempest, Rose and Seth were returned and none of them looked too sad about it. I wouldn't be either. With Camazotz and the dark pokémon leading us Sam and I walked towards the entrance. We both paused and peered inside. I squinted to try and see something through the murkiness but there nothing.

"Damn it," I muttered and stepped inside. A sound of shock escaped my mouth against my will as we were swallowed up by the darkness. I scowled to myself for my fear. Of course it was dark. It's a cave inside a mountain. I jumped as something grabbed my hand.

"Don't worry," I heard Sam say beside me. "It's just me."

"What are you doing?" I asked him frantically. I couldn't even see where he was. "Are you holding my hand? Why are you doing that?"

"Neither of us can see. I thought it would be best this way."

"… Oh. Right." I gulped and I was sure I was blushing. Goddamn it! Stay calm. I cleared my throat and heard Midnight bark twice. I gulped again and stepped tentatively towards the source of the noise. Sam still held my hand in his own surprisingly warm hand. I felt my mind racing. Should I say something? How tight should I hold his hand? Was I obsessing over this? Damn it this should not be this complicated. Maybe I should-

"Aaahh!" I yelled out as something knocked into me and I lost my footing. I tumbled to the ground and dragged Sam with me. The flurry of voices alerted me to the other pokémon. I felt Alice rush over to me and Midnight and Camazotz weren't far behind. Alice gave a worried whimper and I petted her reassuringly.

"What happened?" Sam asked beside me.

"I tripped over something."

"What?"

"I think it was a psyduck. Listen, you can here it running away!"

"I don't know. That sounds too high pitched for a psyduck. Besides, you don't find them in this part of the cave." I was sure it was a psyduck but I didn't comment. Sam helped me to my feet and we continued on as before.

"What TMs do we have left?" Sam asked. I didn't bother checking my bag. I knew what they were and I wouldn't be able to see them in the darkness anyway.

"Hyper beam, thunder, protect, endure and earthquake."

"… Wow."

"We're going to have to sell them."

"You think so?"

"It's the only way we're going to get to Veilstone City without resorting to highway robbery. Unless you have money at home?"

"No, it's the reason I left."

"Well then selling them's our only option."

"You know, there isn't a pokémart in Celestic."

"That's inconvenient. What do you have instead?"

"We have a market and a herb shop."

"Doesn't sound like urbanisation has affected this place."

"I guess not. It's been the smallest town in the whole region for as long as I can remember. There's just not much there to see or do there." It sounded a little boring but I suppose it would be nice to live somewhere so peaceful. I grew up in the suburbs of Littleroot City. I've heard that Littleroot used to be very small but in the last decade or so it just kept growing. It swallowed up Oldale Town and managed to hit the coast. It's one of the biggest cities in Hoenn now.

"It sounds nice there," I said.

"It is." Unspoken was the worry on both our minds: Insurgence. I tried to avoid think about them. Avoid thinking about all they had done and all they planned to do. About how they massacred everything in Spear Pillar and how they want Atrum. I tried to avoid thinking about all this.

It wasn't working. The darkness only made the images more vivid in my mind's eye.

The rest of the journey passed relatively quickly as I talked to Sam and occasionally checked with the other pokémon. We didn't run in to any pokémon save for the occasional zubat that was easily dispersed. Each time it happened Sam squeezed my hand tightly. I reminded myself not to scold him. I suppose everyone is entitled to their fear. I shuddered as I involuntarily thought of…wobbuffet.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"Nothing," I quickly replied. Midnight barked and I noticed a sliver of sunlight in the distance. I felt surprised we had gotten through the cave so fast but four pokémon guides was probably much easier than going alone. The sliver grew with each step until a schism in the rock could be seen. I winced at the sudden light after so long in darkness. We clambered across the last remaining rocks and stumbled out in to daylight.

I closed my eyes and drew in a breath of cold fresh air. The sun was getting low and night was approaching but the golden sun still cast more than enough light to see. As refreshing as it was for me to leave the cave Sam looked much happier. He looked around with wide eyes and a smile on his face. He caught me looking and smiled as he gestured around.

"Familiar surroundings," he said gleefully and ran ahead. "Come on." I stood there for a second as he gained distance on me. I blinked.

"Does he expect me to follow him?" I asked myself. Camazotz shrieked and flapped his giant wings as he flew after Sam. Alice gave an excited yelp and followed as well with Atrum right beside her. Midnight and I exchanged a glance and she gave what was probably meant to be a shrug.

"Fine," I muttered and rushed after the others, my mightyena at my heels. The biting cold air rushed into my lungs and made me gasp. Wearing three layers of clothing didn't help running either. Sam slowed down until I caught up to him then sped up again – this time with me matching his pace.

"What are we doing?" I asked him, already getting a little breathless.

"Racing," he replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Are you joking?" I asked incredulously. He shook his head.

"Last one there's a rotten exeggcute," he said with a grin as he darted ahead. I gritted my teeth and muttered to myself. Great. Puns and exercise. Two of my _favourite_ things. Midnight overtook me and circled around to my other side. Camazotz fell out of the air at random intervals and spread his wings before he hit the ground. Midnight and I ran past him but he flitted ahead again. Alice and Atrum slowed down to join me as Midnight barked encouragingly.

"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled in reply. "I'm going as fast as I can." A meditite jumped out of the grass but Atrum knocked her backwards and we kept going. The long grass started to thin out as the outer vestiges of Celestic Town came into view. I caught up to Sam and leaned against him as I caught my breath.

Damn I was out of shape.

Sam rushed off again (albeit at a much slower pace) and I groaned as I ran after. I was starting to warm up and as I met Sam's pace he grinned at me.

"See," he said. "This is fun." I bit down on my lip and tried to stop myself but eventually I just broke out into a laugh.

"Alright," I admitted, smiling. "It is a little fun."

"Sam!" An unfamiliar voice yelled. I jumped slightly in surprise and moved closer to Sam as he turned to a small house on his left. An old man leaned against his fence with a crawdaunt beside him. He squinted and leaned forward as we ran past. "Sam Jacobs! Is that you?"

"Yeah," Sam yelled back. "I'm a trainer now!"

"Well, I'll be damned," the man muttered to himself as a smile emerged on his wrinkled face. Sam laughed good-naturedly in reply.

"Thanks Mr. Maloney!" Sam yelled in reply. We reached the edge of Celestic and rushed past a variety of houses. They were all fairly small with brightly painted walls, golden roofs and well maintained gardens. The people leaned out as we ran. Smiles and greetings welcomed Sam at every door. They all ignored me.

"Samuel Jacobs?"

"Who is that? Sam?"

"Well if it isn't Vivien's young one."

"Howya Sam!" Sam waved at everyone and yelled out thanks.

"I never knew you were so popular," I muttered to him. He shrugged but didn't stop smiling.

"I like to make friends." I snorted to cover my own bitterness. I wondered what _that_ was like. We passed a school, a bar (the only one according to Sam) and more houses. I found I liked this place even if it was so small; we had covered half the town already.

The pokémon darted around to examine everything but I noticed glares the townsfolk gave them. Celestic Town wasn't as idyllic as it seemed. Sam didn't seem to notice though. I had never seen him so happy. I realised suddenly how homesick he had been. After all, this journey was the farthest he had been away from home and I guess I wasn't as good company as the people here. I was struck with the feeling of inferiority but I swallowed it. That was just my emotional problems talking.

I noticed our pace slowing and Sam stopped where he was. I almost ran into him but stopped myself just in time. That didn't stop Atrum from running into me and knocking all three of us to the ground. Sam pushed off the absol and helped me to my feet as the other pokémon caught up to us. I followed Sam's gaze to a house.

It was bigger than the others but followed mostly the same design. Two stories tall with golden tiles on the roof and a bright blue door. The white of the walls was faded somewhat and the enormous garden was in disarray. The curtains were drawn and the house was dark but it seemed to exude a sense of…home. This was a family house: a home. I leaned over to Sam and asked him,

"Who lives here?" Sam paused for a moment. His smile turned sad.

"Vivien did," he said wistfully. He lowered his head. My mouth opened and closed uselessly and I tried to smile in a futile gesture of compassion. I wanted to comfort him but didn't know how. Damn my emotional problems!

"Sneasel," I heard Alice mumble. Sam and I both glanced down to see her. She grasped one of Sam's hands and gazed up at him comfortingly. I was surprised to see something like this from Alice. She was usually so timid. I took this as a sign that she was growing more confident and open. Sam smiled down at her.

"Thanks Alice," he said.

"Sam!" Another voice yelled out. Sam furrowed his brow in confusion and turned around where a man was storming out of the neighbouring house. Alice whimpered at the new presence and hugged Sam's leg tightly. Camazotz, Atrum and Midnight were all gathered around me.

"Walter?" Sam asked. He sounded surprised. The new man moved towards us with a slightly erratic gait. He was a relatively big man but seemed to have a slight hunch. His clothes were drab; a grey suit. Streaks of grey covered his hair and his face was lined with worry and age.

"Walter?" Sam asked again, as if to be sure.

"Where have you _been_?" The man – Walter I guess – demanded. Sam paused, glancing at me for a moment.

"I've been travelling," he tentatively replied. "I'm a trainer now. So is Cassie." He gestured to me but I didn't say anything.

"And you didn't think to call?" Walter asked furiously.

"I… I didn't think you…" Sam shook his head. "Can we talk about this inside?" People were starting to gather and watch the spat. Walter nodded and moved to unlock the door of Sam's house. I noticed him wince as he did so – pressing a hand to his back for a moment. Sam and I paused to return the pokémon.

"We'll let you all out when we get the chance," I said to them. I felt a little nervous entering Sam's childhood home and that feeling only increased as I stepped through the threshold and emerged inside. Walter closed the door behind us and turned to Sam.

"We'll talk upstairs," Sam told him before turning to me. I blinked. Then it occurred to me that he was checking that was okay with me.

"Yeah, sure," I quickly told him. "You go talk to your…" I left the sentence open.

"He was a friend of Vivien's," Sam told me. I saw Walter's face darken but the expression vanished as Sam turned around and followed him away. I sighed and looked around.

It was a very nice house; open and spacious, the kitchen on the left, a comfortable living room to the right and a hallway leading to some more rooms and the staircase. Books were resting on every surface: crime, fiction, medical textbooks and every other genre imaginable. Lego was strewn around the living room floor and the kitchen was a mess. Then of course there were the photographs. The vibrantly coloured walls were covered with them. Sam and another woman – I assumed Vivien Lily. Her relatively short hair was black with streaks of red that didn't really suit her. She was fairly thin and had the pale complexion of all people from Sinnoh combined with dark brown eyes and high cheekbones.

Physically Sam looked nothing like her but he shared her warm smile and the kindness present in her eyes. I moved around the house to examine the photographs. It was almost always just Sam and Vivien: swimming, hiking, playing, eating – at all ages, all over the town. I noticed Walter in one with Vivien. They both looked much younger and Walter wore a smile that lit up his face.

There wasn't a clear timeline in the way the pictures were laid out but I noticed that there was a girl in earlier ones that abruptly vanished. A blonde haired girl was in almost every picture when Sam was just a child. It was a little strange to see Sam so young. I've only known him at this point in his life and now I was getting a glimpse of his past. I held a hand up to the photograph but pulled it away at the touch of a thick layer of dust.

Then I realised something. Books were scattered around. Lego was on the floor. There was unopened mail on the floor. There was dust everywhere. This entire house was a mess.

"Damn it," I muttered. I started with the Lego, gathering all the pieces into a couple of boxes (which were cleaned beforehand with some supplies I found in the kitchen cupboard) and storing them away in the corner. I grabbed a duster (I couldn't find a vacuum cleaner) and assaulted every dusty surface. This could just as easily be described as every surface. The walls needed painting but there was nothing I could do about that right now.

The couch and chairs were at awkward angles so I shifted them slightly and rearranged the cushions on them. With the living room looking as respectable as I could make it in such a short timeframe, I moved to the kitchen.

That was even more of a worry. Whatever it was like before Sam left, after almost three months away from home it was horrific. I gathered up all the dishes and left them in the sink while I grabbed the mail and placed on the kitchen table after I dusted it quickly. I grabbed the first few letters and opened them as I set the faucet in the sink running hot water. The sound of the water covered the raised voices I could hear from upstairs. I started flicking through them and…

Oh damn it. I'm reading someone else's mail. I should probably-

I froze. The sound of the voices and the water in the sink seemed to fade into the periphery. I reread what I thought couldn't be true. My eyes widened and I flicked through the letters again. I ripped open the others but they confirmed what I had discovered.

The raised voices turned to shouts and yells and I frantically pushed the mail off the table to the ground where it couldn't be seen. Walter emerged from the hallway and stormed outside without slowing. Sam burst out after him and slammed the door shut in barely contained fury. He ran both hands through his hair. I wondered what had angered him so much.

"Sam," I said quietly. "You should see this." He sighed deeply and moved over to me. I handed him one of the letters. He scanned the page and frowned at me.

"Vivien's bank statement," he said. "What about it?" I presented him with a few more pages from other letters.

"This is the bank statement from two months ago," I began, indicating the original letter. "It was probably delivered a while after you left for Eterna. Check the balance." He did and frowned.

"That's…"

"Very little. About as much as could be expected from a single woman who had to give up her job and whose only source of income is you working part time at the Pokémon Centre." Sam shook his head.

"She… She always said money wasn't a problem."

"She was right. Here's last month's bank statement." His eyes widened.

"That's a lot of digits."

"I know. And I bet that's the exact amount needed for the treatment for Vivien's disease. So where did the money come from?" Sam didn't reply but I kept going. "I bet if we keep going back we'll find that amount deposited in Vivien's account every month since she was first diagnosed. Without that money Vivien would have died years ago." I looked into Sam's eyes. "Someone paid for Vivien's treatment. Someone's been looking after you all this time."


	21. Inspection

_Beta-Reader: The Waffle19. _

* * *

**Chapter 21: Inspection**

* * *

**Sam**

"We'll talk upstairs."

"Yeah, sure. You go talk to your…"

"He was a friend of Vivien's." A friend of Vivien's. I noticed after I had said it that I didn't say he was a friend of mine. Which he wasn't. Not really. I could never remember us being very close. I couldn't fathom how he could be so mad.

I followed him through the hallway, still wearing a look of confusion on my face. I couldn't help but check everything as I walked past. Everything was just like I remembered it from the photographs and posters on the wall to the bookshelves stacked everywhere that there was room.

My heart jumped with joy and nostalgia but the feeling didn't last long. I soon grew numb and empty as the memories evoked by this house gave rise to feelings I hadn't allowed myself to think about much. Yet again I was reminded of Vivien's death. Even though I had known it was coming, even though I had prepared for it and grieved long ago, the memory of the loss seemed fresh in my mind. I could cope with Vivien's death when I was travelling but coming home I realised that I had just been avoiding having to deal with it. Having to come back to this house that was never really mine, but ours. This resurgence of feelings was intense.

Walter climbed the stairs in silent fury and walked into Vivien's room. I felt a flash of sorrow as I hesitated, standing in the doorway and gazing in. Everything was like Vivien had left it, even the half-read book on the pillow. I hadn't been able to summon the courage to in before. Not since…

A resurgence of memories invaded my mind and I was brought back. I hadn't known when I woke up. I kept thinking I should have known something was wrong. But I didn't. I crawled out of bed as usual and made my way downstairs. She was sitting in her usual space in the living room. Her eyes were closed. And still I didn't know, didn't realise. I figured I would let her sleep in.

I made scrambled eggs for breakfast – her favourite. But she wouldn't wake up. She wouldn't open her eyes. And then I knew.

I blinked furiously and realised I had fallen silent. I looked over at Walter and saw he had a similar reaction. He blinked back tears and seemed to come to his senses. He shook his head and turned to me.

"Where have you been?" he asked again. I answered like before, still unsure of what I was doing here having this conversation.

"I'm a trainer," I stated. "I caught an absol on my way to Eterna and met Cassie there-"

"You caught an _absol_?" he interrupted me, sounding incredulous. I nodded, knowing I shouldn't tell anyone about Atrum's past – not that we knew what that was. Insurgence was a huge problem and their existence shouldn't be revealed to anyone that isn't necessary. So instead of telling Walter the whole story, I just nodded and said,

"Yeah." He opened his mouth and seemed to be on the verge of arguing but shook his head and changed the subject.

"I thought you were going to get a job."

"Well, this seemed like a better option. It was your idea."

"You didn't call! You didn't write!" I frowned, still confused but getting tired of these verbal attacks.

"Who would I have written to?"

"You could have told me where you were!"

"Why would you care?" He froze. So did I. It was all I needed.

"You know something…" I said. It wasn't a question. Walter chose not to answer but he didn't have to. His face flushed and he looked away guiltily.

"It doesn't matter," he said, looking back at me. My eyes flashed with sudden fury which surprised him but he held my gaze anyway.

"It seems like everyone I meet knows more about me than I do," I muttered.

"This is for-"

"My own good. Yeah, I bet. People must get a kick out of lying to me." He began fidgeting. Our roles had reversed with me on the offensive now.

"We're not lying to you-" As soon as the words left his mouth he winced. He realised his slip of the tongue and opened his mouth to remedy it but I glared at him.

"_We_?" I asked through gritted teeth. "So you're not working alone? You're collaborating with other people?" I shot off the questions like barbs. He was just like James. Just like everyone I seemed to meet now. "Exactly how long have you been conspiring against me. Does- did Vivien know about this?" Walter's eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists in fury.

"Vivien never lied to you," he practically snarled. "She didn't know anything!" Clearly I had struck a nerve.

"So you were lying to both of us!" He grimaced – partially in hurt and partially in anger.

"I did what I had to!" Walter yelled at me.

"What have you been keeping from me?" I yelled back. "Do you know who my parents are? What is so dangerous that you can't tell me?"

"That's none of your damn business! Maybe you should grow up and realise that some things are more important than your petulant demands!"

"Get out of my house!" I screamed, my face twisted into a sneer and my vision rapidly clouding with anger.

"You always said this wasn't your house," he replied somewhat smugly. "You said it would always be Vivien's house." I grabbed a pokéball out of my pocket and released Seth in front of me. He piped up as he realised he was out. He glanced around while growling and his gaze settled on Walter. I watched him smile, showing his teeth as he did so.

"Get. Out." I told Walter again. He must have seen something in Seth's eyes: the sadistic enthusiasm for violence that I myself saw every time I looked into his eyes. Seth made a sound like a mixture of a chuckle and a growl. Walter grew pale and took a step back. He raised both his hands in appeasement.

"Sam, please," he said quietly. "Let's not be-"

"Seth," I said, and pointed to Walter. Seth made the sound again and feinted a slash at Walter with one claw. My neighbour drew back and uttered a low shriek with wide eyes. Seth erupted into laughter. Walter gazed fearfully at me. My expression didn't change.

He gulped and slowly made his way towards the door. Seth went towards Walter again but I halted him with a wave. Walter reached the door and stormed downstairs. I glanced down at my charmeleon and he sent me a look of approval. He seemed impressed. It disgusted me.

I returned Seth and followed Walter downstairs. He stormed outside and I slammed the door shut behind him. The anger started to fade with Walter's departure and a feeling of frustration took its place. I ran both hands through my hair.

"Sam," I heard Cassie say quietly from the kitchen. "You should see this."

(-*-)

I marched outside with the papers in my hand. I could hear Cassie yelling out behind her but I ignored her as I kept walking. Most people were gone from the streets and the sun was setting, casting orange and golden auras through the strata of clouds. I kept walking and jumped the fence surrounding my house, landing in Walter's garden. I kept walking and stormed over to the dark blue door. I pounded on it with both fists.

Cassie caught up with me, looking flustered. I gave no indication that I knew she was behind me. I struck the door again – harder this time. My hands were stinging.

"Open up, Walter!" I shouted. I moved over to the windows and gazed in but the curtains were drawn and nothing could be seen.

"Walter, I know about the payments!" I banged on the door again. "You can't hide from me! I know you're in there! Walter!" Still, I got no answer. I snarled and pounded once more. Cassie's voice could still be heard and-

She grabbed my shoulder suddenly.

"Sam," she said bluntly, staring at me with a steadfast expression. My anger diminished somewhat as I looked at her. I unclenched my fists and calmed myself.

"Come on," I said to Cassie as I turned away from Walter's house. "Let's go back to the house." I paused for a moment before adding, "We'll be staying here for a while." I heard Cassie sigh and trail after me. I noticed a few people peering out of the windows, obviously curious about my outrage. I tried to ignore them and heir prying eyes as I opened the door and closed it after we entered.

"How long is "a while"?" Cassie asked. I considered it for a moment.

"As long as it takes for me to get some answers," I replied. I rooted in my pockets and grabbed the pokéballs, releasing all my pokémon. Cassie did the same and Midnight, Alice and Camazotz joined Atrum, Seth, Tempest and Rose. Alice nervously slunk over to Midnight at the sight of new surroundings and Tempest let out an appreciative, "sloooooooooooooowwwwwwwww". Seth had no reaction and neither did Rose as far as I could tell. Camazotz instantly flew around the room in circles and Midnight carefully surveyed the interior. It seemed to take Atrum a minute to realise something was different.

"We'll be staying here a while," Cassie said to them.

"Yena?"

"Not long," Cassie replied as she shot me a glance. "Right?" I didn't answer but turned around and beckoned her to follow me. She followed me wordlessly down the hallway and up the stairs, leaving the pokémon behind. It seemed tense and uncomfortable between us so I didn't try to speak. I stopped at a door and opened it.

"Spare room," I explained, gesturing inside for Cassie. "You'll need somewhere to sleep." Cassie walked in without acknowledging me. She muttered something about not getting any sleep and closed the door. I frowned at her display but walked off. I wondered what had bothered her so much.

(-#-)

**Cassie**

Drifting in a state of slumber. Sweet dreams of feathers and pillows, of clouds and rain and a giant black dog that-

Wait, what?

My eyes shot open and I locked gazes with Midnight.

"Yena," she said, looking down on me as she crouched beside me on the floor. I groaned and shut my eyes again, sinking deeper into the mass of pillows and blankets. I had been sleeping in tents for most of the last three months and the pokémon centre beds weren't always very comfortable. After all that time, the sanctuary of a soft bed was euphoric. I pulled the blankets up over my head and rolled over, not bothering to fix my hair as it tangled and covered my face.

"Yena," I heard again, more forcibly this time. I groaned again, the most intelligible response I could manage. I heard a reluctant sigh from Midnight and felt the covers abruptly being pulled away. I groaned one more time and sat up to see my mightyena traipsing out the door. She pulled the covers along behind her from where she grabbed the corner in her mouth.

The light wasn't on in the room but it spilled in from the hallway. I rubbed my eyes and pushed back my hair. It fell back in the same position and I reached to my left and-

My bag's not there.

I blinked and adjusted my position on the bed slightly so I could reach my bag, lying on the floor. That may not seem like a huge action but it still annoyed me that my morning routine had been disrupted. I began combing my hair as I took some clothes from my bag and…

I stopped, frozen, as I slowly turned my head to where I saw…

I smiled and dropped everything as I made my way towards the shower.

(-*-)

Forty-five minutes later I felt human again. I heard the shrill cries of Camazotz as I pushed open the door of the shower and stepped out, wrapping a towel around me as I did so. I tossed my hair back and draped another towel around it. Camazotz flew in for a moment before flying back out backwards again.

I found myself smiling at his display. Normally I wouldn't have but I was feeling so calm and refreshed. The shower had relaxed places I didn't even know were tense. I dressed slowly, in only jeans and a t-shirt. The house was warmer than I thought it would be.

My nostrils flared suddenly as I caught the scent of food wafting up from downstairs. I closed my eyes and inhaled, wondering how the morning could get any better. I combed my hair a little more and tied it back a little. It was still wet since there was no hairdryer that I could see. Alice emerged from the hallway and smiled at me – a gesture I returned in kind. She gestured for me to follow and I did – without any reluctance on my part either.

I kept a hand on the banister as I slowly descended the stairs. The carpet tickled my toes as I walked on it and I actually had to stop myself from giggling.

Giggling. Ugh.

I could see why Sam was happy in this house. I felt a rush of happiness and glee at the prospect of my mornings being like this one for any prolonged period of time. Or any time at all. My own morning routine had been so bleak and loveless for so long. I felt like a child again as I climbed down the stairs.

Camazotz flew past again as I reached the bottom of the stairs. Atrum followed suit and Tempest waddled slowly after them both.

Alice darted in front of me and led the way forward with me walking slowly after her. Snoring alerted me to Seth dozing face down on the couch. His body was spread out and half on the floor. One arm clutched tightly at his everstone necklace. Midnight watched him reproachfully but she barked a greeting to me as I walked past.

Alice leaped up and jumped off the wall to land in the kitchen on the countertop next to where Sam was making breakfast. He was dressed casually as usual but he had cleaned up too. He stirred a pot and grabbed a spoon. He dipped it into the mixture and held it out to Alice. With another feat of acrobatics, Alice jumped across Sam and downed the contents as she landed on the other side of the sink. She sat down against the wall with her arm resting on the faucet.

She crossed her eyes in thought and tapped her fingers on the counter. I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe, looking in at the two of them. The sight of Alice getting along with another person brought an even bigger smile to my face.

"Sneeeasel," Alice muttered from her position on the counter.

"Uh, more spice?" Sam asked. Alice shook her head.

"Less spice? Less onions? More onions? More garlic? Okay, more garlic. I think this is going pretty well. I'm starting to understand you a lot more."

"Sneasel."

"Okay, I didn't get that." Alice pointed towards me and Sam turned around. He smiled when he saw me.

"Morning," he said.

"I thought you said you couldn't cook," I said, as I walked over to him and Cassie.

"Only lasagne and scrambled eggs," he replied.

"Which one is for breakfast?"

"Both. They taste surprisingly well together. Our master chef here has been helping me with the cooking." Before that moment I didn't think it was possible for a sneasel to blush. Now I know better. I signalled to Midnight.

"Food's almost ready," I told her as she strolled over to me. "Can you gather everyone up?" Midnight nodded and wandered off dutifully. I opened up cupboards and started taking out some plates.

"This house needs to be cleaned," I told Sam. He shot me a look. "What? It does." A flurry of noises made us turn around. The six other pokémon all rushed into the kitchen. Even Seth eagerly awaited some breakfast. Breakfast was served to the pokémon in a chaotic couple of minutes. Alice and the others left us with the leftovers.

I scraped off the last vestiges of scrambled-eggs-lasagne and licked the plate dry.

"Any seconds?" I asked.

"There was barely enough food for firsts," Sam replied. He gathered up all the dirty dishes and dumped them into the sink.

"No dishwasher?" I asked.

"Nope. Never got around to buying one. Vivien used to save up money for it sometimes but we always ended up spending it on something else."

"Like books?" He smiled.

"Exactly. I'll wash, you dry."

"Sure. So we'll need to get some food? Where do I put this?"

"Second drawer. I'll get some supplies in about an hour. Can you sell the TMs?" That caught my attention and I glanced at Sam.

"What?"

"You don't mind, do you?"

"No! No, of course not." I did a little. Although I wasn't going to admit it. The thought of going out into a strange town by myself wasn't very comforting. As much as I prided myself for my independence, I hadn't really been apart from Sam other than the couple of days spent in Eterna as I registered as a trainer. I scolded myself for being so dependant and pathetic.

"I'll go," I said again with resolution. "Just…don't start cleaning without me. Why are you looking at me like that? I'm serious, you'll just mess everything up." He playfully splashed some water on me and I scowled at him before turning away to smile.

(-*-)

I gulped. Suddenly, I was regretting my decision.

"Sneasel," came a timid voice from below. I patted Alice reassuringly.

"Yeah," I muttered. "That's a lot more people than I was expecting." Alice and I stood at the edges of a throng of people, all centred on the small market in the north-west of the city. Sam had convinced me to leave Midnight and Camazotz behind so I wouldn't attract too much attention. We still got the occasional stare or curious look but the effect was lessened with only Alice with me.

She whimpered and hugged my leg. Bonding with Sam was one thing. Being in the middle of a suffocating mass of strangers was another. I gulped and hoped no one touched me.

"Come on, Alice," I said and waded through. My shoulders were tensed and my arms were pressed up against my body – I did my absolute best to avoid contact with any of the people. I was shorter than most of the adults but there was kids there too. A couple of them ran past and I had to jump out of the way. It wasn't that I didn't like kids. I just liked them about as much as most people: at a distance. Sam of course was the exception.

I grimaced and pulled away as someone brushed past me, continuing to walk on with Alice attached to my leg. She weighed practically nothing – especially compared to all the layers of clothes I was wearing.

Stalls went past and I didn't even look at them. They could have been selling max revives at half price and I wouldn't have cared. I didn't get as anxious as Alice in times like this but I still worked very hard to avoid being in this exact situation. I let out a sigh of relief as I finally got clear of the crowd.

You know what, screw being independent. Next time Sam can go do this and I'll clean the house. Come to think of it that wasn't very feminist of me either.

"Hey, you!" I jumped as I heard someone speak. My body turned almost of its own accord and I found myself looking at a man leaning awkwardly against a building. He was staring right at me and I felt my heart beat faster. My mind went through scenarios – most of them ending badly for me. I tried to tell myself that it was doubtful a serial killer was operating in Celestic Town. And if there was, he wouldn't try to attack a trainer with a sneasel. Even if the sneasel was obviously petrified and clinging to her trainer's leg. He walked towards me and I took a step back.

"You wanna buy some black glasses?" he asked me. He opened him his coat to display a collection of different glasses in various sizes and colours. I blinked and spoke.

"Well, if you're offering, then I'll take those wise glasses-"

"No wise glasses in daytime! Black glasses in daytime! Wise glasses at night!"

"That's stupid!" I snapped at him. "You've chosen arbitrary times that dictate the merchandise you sell! You're an idiot and a terrible salesman! And did it never occur to your apparently dysfunctional mind that you might look suspicious hanging around an alley selling sunglasses?"

"No wise glasses in daytime!"

"Oh don't you worry 'bout Neil there," I heard a woman's voice say. "Hit his head about a year back. Mighty strange ever since." I turned to see an old woman peering out of a building opposite. "Come on, girl. He ain't gonna hurt nobody he's just a bit of a nuisance." I recognised the building as the make-shift store Sam had described to me and I crossed the street, following the woman inside. She was behind a counter when I entered. She looked positively ancient. I gulped. Social interaction wasn't something I was good at and outside of challenging people to battles, it generally wasn't something I enjoyed either.

"Selling," I blurted out. "TMs. Me. I'm selling TMs to me. From me. To you. Um, please." The old woman raised her eyebrows and leaned forward with an inquisitive expression. I groaned inwardly. Actually I swore inwardly, cursing my attempt and the cataclysmic failure it had been. Still, the woman appeared to understand and nodded once.

"What've you got, girl?" she asked. I laid out the remaining TMs and she apprised them with a look of surprise for a moment before smiling in understanding.

"You must be that trainer that came back with Sam," she said. I wasn't sure what I should say so I nodded. "What a fine boy he is. Such a shame about Vivien, don't you think?" I froze. What was this?

Oh damn it; this is small talk isn't it? Damn it! What should I say: yes? Is that too obvious?

I suddenly realised the woman was staring at me – probably because she was waiting for an answer.

"Um, yes," I said, maybe a little too loud. Or too quiet. Did she look like she was straining to hear me? She _was _very old. Maybe I should say it again. "Yes, that's me. Um, m'am." She waved a hand.

"I heard ya the first time, girl. I'm old but I ain't deaf."

"Sorry."

"Ain't nothin'" she replied. She tucked away the TMs and handed me some money from the depths of her pocket. I took it graciously and paused. Something told me this wasn't the kind of place where I would get a receipt. I turned around and headed towards the door.

"Ain't ya goin' to say goodbye?" I heard the woman say. Damn it! I forgot pleasantries. I turned my head.

"Bye," I said, and wondered if I should wave. I decided I should and waved one hand. I stood where I was for a few awkward seconds before I rushed out the door. I let out a sigh of relief as I leaned against the external wall.

"Sneasel," I heard Alice say from where she was attached to my leg.

"Yeah, Alice," I replied with a touch of anxious pride in my voice. "I think that went well too."

(-*-)

"What took you so long?" Sam asked as I stepped inside. I sighed and walked past him to the kitchen, immediately starting to clean. Alice jumped off my leg and rushed off to find Midnight or Atrum. I instantly felt calmer surrounded by dusters and cleaning supplies.

"What's for dinner?" I asked Sam. He shrugged.

"Alice told me what to get before we left."

"She told you?"

"Well, she pointed at things in a cook book and made noises I mostly understood." I nodded and kept cleaning, shooing away Sam when he tried to help. I moved into the living room and stopped.

"Sam?" I asked.

"Yeah?" came his reply from another room.

"Why is there a log in the middle of the living room carpet?" He wandered in to where I was staring at a sizeable log resting on its side in the middle of the room. As I was about to say something else I heard the familiar sound of growling. Seth strutted into the room and slouched across the log, flashing us a smirk as he did so.

"It was this or have him scratch up the furniture all day long," Sam replied. I didn't exactly compliment him on the good idea but I nodded approvingly. He smiled and quickly moved out of the way to avoid the figure of Alice running through the house with Midnight on her heels. Atrum watched them from afar, looking confused.

Tempest and Rose ambled in after a few minutes while Alice, Sam and I relocated to the kitchen. Alice instantly set to work and practically ripped open the shopping bags to get the food inside. Sam and I stood in the doorway for a second, unsure what to do. We looked at each other with confused expressions and I toyed with a strand of hair.

Alice stopped what she was doing and turned her head to look at us both. She was smiling like she always did while cooking. She motioned us both forward and tossed a bowl at Sam which he caught nimbly. She passed me an open recipe book and uttered a yowl. I scanned the page and grinned.

"Stir fry," I said. She nodded and pointed me back to work.

Alice chopped and diced and Sam boiled and I read out the recipe. Alice coordinated everyone's efforts and darted around to help and make improvements. She was hanging from the ceiling to drop some spice into the mixture. I bumped into Sam and spilled some flour all over us both.

I coughed and blinked as we waved away the powdery fog. He shot me a smile and I laughed at his snow-coloured face. He laughed in return and I realised I probably looked even worse. A familiar screech made me look up to where Camazotz was now flying around in circles. Midnight and Atrum pushed their way into the kitchen and Tempest rushed in with Rose on his back – moving faster than I had ever seen him go. Seth could be seen prowling around the edges and looming in, licking his lips and inhaling deeply.

The rest of the pokémon joined in occasionally with Alice overseeing everyone. There was barely room to move around in the midst of the chaotic crowd. A flurry of movement and a cacophony of voices that should have petrified me but didn't.

In the end, Sam and I ended up getting small portions of the delicious meal, eating them while leaning against the wall as the other pokémon devoured their meals all over the place. Alice had disappeared off with the others and I could see her sharing some food with Atrum.

"I'm still hungry," I muttered, scraping the last vestiges from the bowl and licking it clean. After a moment's hesitation where Sam gazed wistfully into his own dinner bowl, he passed it to me. I slowly turned my gaze to him. My eyes were wide and my breath was caught in my throat. I couldn't believe the enormity of the gesture.

He smiled and nodded, understanding my thought. He was willing to sacrifice the last portion of dinner made by Alice. No words were spoken between us; they were unnecessary. Slowly, reverently, I took the bowl from Sam, smiling as I did so. I savoured the last of it before turning back to him. We stood in blissful silence as the background noise seemed to fade entirely and leave us alone in the world. I opened my mouth and spoke.

"I'm still hungry." Sam laughed so hard he fell over. So did I.

(-#-)

**Sam**

After a few days in Celestic we quickly fell into a comfortable routine. I was glad to be home again. The house was cleaner than it had been for years and Cassie was slowly alphabetising the contents of every room.

All the pokémon seemed happy to have some place to explore and run around too. Not to mention comfortable places to sleep. Seth had already claimed the couch in the living room, swiping at anyone that came near, territorial as any tyranitar.

Rose had discovered a withered potted plant upstairs and had rooted himself in the pot, making the restoration of it a personal mission. To that end he regularly soaked it (and whatever else happened to be in the vicinity at the time) with water sport.

Midnight had placed a blanket outside Cassie's room and where she could stand sentinel and be on the lookout for who knows what. Alice had made herself a bed of cushions in on the bottom of Cassie's bed, curling up tightly when she fell asleep near her trainer.

Tempest seemed to just pick random places to start sleeping which created a problem when we all fell over him. Not that the sound of our swearing ever woke him up. It took the smell of food to do that.

Camazotz had settled himself in a dark closet filled with coats that I would never be able to wear again. I would probably have to burn them as well; they would just remind of the sinister leathery wings of the giant bat.

I shuddered as I descended down the stairs and walked towards the kitchen, trying to think of less frightening thoughts.

Seth grinned at me as I passed by, stretched across the log in the middle of the room. His eyes glinted and he shot me a mock salute. He had been less of a problem lately. He still rarely listened to me but ever since I had threatened Walter he was treating me better. I thought I had won some of his respect.

The thought disgusted me.

It occurred to me that I couldn't find Cassie. Midnight and Alice were around but Cassie wasn't. I noticed Tempest wandering out of the bathroom and turned to him.

"Have you seen Cassie?"

"Slllooooooooooooooooowwwwwww w!"

"…Okay, great. Thanks for that, Tempest."

"Sllloooowww." A note on the kitchen table caught my eye and I scanned Cassie's scrawled handwriting:_Gone to the library. Meet me there_. I blinked. I knew Camazotz was still in the closet (I had considered locking him in), Alice was wandering the house with Atrum and Midnight had fallen asleep on the couch. That meant that Cassie had gone out without her pokémon.

"Tempest!" I yelled out, and waited. About a minute later, the slowpoke waddled in. "I'm going out for a while and I'm leaving you in charge." I paused. "Try not to let anyone know I'm gone."

"Sloooow." That didn't encourage me but I left anyway.

The title of a book caught my eye and I set it aside as I walked past.

That might come in useful.

(-*-)

There were no signs of life in Walter's house and I got no answer when I knocked. I hadn't seen him at all since I had ordered him out of the house. He was avoiding me.

I moved on towards the library, waving at people as I passed by, stopping to talk, asking how they've been. Everyone greeted me with a smile and I felt a rush of pride that I had been missed.

Loud noises grabbed my attention and I stopped to gaze down into the valley. Celestic Ruins lay in the very centre of the town, the epitome of ancient Sinnoh and the source of civilisation for the entire region. Buried deep in the rock was a temple dedicated to the Legends. The legendary pokémon of old that created the world and all that resided in it.

At least, that was what the myths said. Whether or not that was true was irregardless. No one could deny the Legends were creatures of majesty and intrigue with such power that no one could hope to stand against them. Glimpses were all that were caught of them and few had battled them.

The ruins were a testament to them. Built of stone and embedded in the steep rock face of the bowl-shaped valley they stood sentinel – a monument of earth and ore that had stood the test of time for thousands of years. Guarded by engravings at either side, it was a reminder of our past.

It was sacred in Celestic Town. Which was why I was surprised to see construction equipment and people swarming through the area. I pursed my lips into a thoughtful expression. I could already see some protesters arguing near the entrance. This would not go well.

The library was small – predictably enough for Celestic. An old church dedicated to Palkia had been converted and now housed books and computers as well as a couple of artefacts that the museums weren't interested in. It was in the east of town near the statue.

Cassie was the only one there, huddled in a corner and hunched over a computer. I smiled at the receptionist as I walked over to her. She didn't look up as I approached and pointed at the screen when I sat down beside her. I followed her gaze to records on the computer screen.

"Walter moved here the same day you were dropped off at the hospital," she explained. "And he bought the house next to Vivien despite it being more expensive than others in the town." I nodded.

"What else?" I asked. She glared at me. "Good work. Now what else did you find out?" She scowled.

"Nothing. Walter Forster doesn't seem to have existed up until that day in February when you both arrived in Celestic. I think it's a fake name." She turned away from the screen and looked at me. "Whoever he was before he came here, he's Walter Forster now. And without more information there's nothing more I can do. I even tried searching _your_ name to see if I could find anything."

"And?"

"Jacobs is a pretty common name and has been for ages. Recently there was a Sam Jacobs who died in Veilstone in a riot but that was around a decade and a half ago. I just keep hitting dead ends." She blinked and looked around as if realising something. "Where are…?"

"They're at the house."

"Alone?"

"Yeah."

"With no supervision?"

"I left Tempest in charge." She shot me a look. "Ah… We should probably get back." Still, it worked out for the best; it didn't take too long to put out the fires.

(-#-)

**Cassie**

I scrutinised the board. My eyes scanned the black and white chess board and the pieces on it. Scenarios ran through my mind until I finally made my move. I quickly moved my bishop two spaces and waited for Sam to retaliate. He was about to reach forward when Camazotz flew above and he winced. Alice rushed past as well, Tempest and Rose following them. He breathed a noticeable sigh of relief and reached for his castle.

"Who's the girl in the photographs?" I asked suddenly. He paused mid-move and looked up.

"Who?" he asked. I pointed to the nearest photograph on the wall with the blonde haired girl standing proudly next to Sam as the two of them stood over a sand castle. He furrowed his brow in thought.

"Oh," he said with mild surprise, as if it had been a long time since he had thought about her. "That's uh… that's Lizzie." I shot him an inquisitive look.

"Childhood friend," he supplied, and moved a castle across the board. He smiled at the memory. "We used to do everything together. I must have been about seven or eight back then."

"What happened?" I moved my own castle two spaces to the right.

"She moved away." Sam took my castle with his own to save his king but winced as he realised his mistake. I moved my bishop three spaces to vanquish his queen, losing the piece the next turn. Then I swept my queen across the board and took his castle. He frowned as he scrutinised the playing field.

"How did that happen?" he wondered aloud. I allowed myself a smug smile as I leaned back in the chair.

"Would you like to resign?" I asked him. He sighed and began gathering away the pieces.

"So, what?" I asked. "That's it?"

"What do you mean? You pretty much won already."

"No, not that. I mean Lizzie."

"What about her?"

"She moved away so you just forgot about her?" Sam caught my gaze and raised an eyebrow.

"You're oddly passionate about this," he observed. I glanced away, toying with a white knight on the board.

"I guess I didn't have a lot of friends growing up," I told him. "If I was that close with anyone I wouldn't ever forget about them."

"Wow, I'm impressed, Cassie. That was really deep and personal."

"Just don't expect a hug." He smiled.

"I never do."

(-#-)

**Sam**

The day began like normal as I woke up. I didn't need an alarm – I never have. I stumbled out of bed, showered, changed, fell over a sleeping slowpoke, swore, and went downstairs. We had all settled into a routine lately. The last few days or so was strange but enjoyable. I didn't think I could be happy in this house after Vivien died but lately it's been different. With Cassie and the pokémon here I felt like I was moving on.

I smiled as I wandered down the stairs. I noticed Atrum stumbling drowsily out of an adjoining room. He yawned and I caught his eye.

"Morning," I said to him. He gave a snort in reply. "Did you sleep well?" Another snort. We walked at the same pace towards the kitchen, falling into step beside each other. "Are you hungry?"

"Sol," he muttered begrudgingly.

"I figured you would be. Is Alice awake yet?" I thought he shrugged.

"Ab."

"Well I guess it's scrambled eggs for breakfast." We reached the kitchen and I started making some scrambled eggs for everyone, making a little extra for Cassie and Alice. I rooted in the press and grabbed a box of crackers. I handed a few to Atrum and he snatched them out of my hand.

Then I made my way into the living room where Seth was draped face down on the couch. A clap of my hand provoked a groan from the charmeleon. He swiped one claw in what he thought was my direction without opening his eyes.

"Wake up," I told him. "Come on, Seth." He ignored me. After a moment's hesitation where I swallowed my fear, I slapped him across the face. He turned to me snarling. I kept my expression neutral and gave no indication of my terror.

"Wake up," I repeated. The golden charmeleon's eyes narrowed. I stared him down. Then, he smirked.

"Chaaaarr," he uttered. He hopped off the couch and grabbed the box of crackers as he walked towards the kitchen. My eyes followed his path out of the room. I glimpsed Cassie standing awestruck nearby.

"What just happened?" she asked.

"I read a book that said they respect assertiveness and courage."

"So to prove this theory you decide to _slap a homicidal charmeleon?_"

"It worked." I saw something in Cassie's expression that made me pause. "What is it?"

"We've been here over a week," she said bluntly (not that I expected it any other way). "It's not that I don't like being here because I do. Celestic's been a much needed break. But we have to leave eventually and we haven't found out a damn thing about your past." I fell silent, considering her words.

"You're right," I finally said. My answer surprised her; I think she was expecting a protest. "We're getting nowhere, Walter's been avoiding me ever since we arrived and I don't know what else to do." I sat down in a chair and ran my hands through my hair. Cassie walked towards me – slightly uncomfortable in this situation and unsure how to respond.

"Don't worry," she said. "We'll just…we'll come back later. Walter can't avoid us forever and he'll talk to you eventually." I nodded.

"Come on," I said. "Let's go pack.

(-*-)

Walter came to visit that day – the second time I had seen him since we arrived. We were outside the house and Cassie was making sure everything was ready to go. She even had a checklist to make sure we hadn't forgotten anything. I watched him approach, tentatively walking from neighbouring home, a walking stick in one hand. My expression remained neutral and I gave nothing away.

I heard Seth growl from where he stood beside me.

"Easy, Seth," I muttered. He piped down but Walter still stared nervously at him and stood at a distance. I looked at my charmeleon. "Go help Cassie." Seth did so but not before he snorted out a tiny stream of embers at Walter and snickered when the man jumped.

"You're leaving?" Walter asked me.

"Obviously." I kept my voice as neutral as my face. "What's going on at the ruins?" He waved a hand dismissively.

"Some archaeological excavation. They think some lost artefact might be in the ruins. Some kind of flute, I'm not sure of the specifics." I nodded and fell silent. Walter looked at me strangely, almost expectantly – like he expecting a question.

"I'm not going to bother asking," I told him. "You wouldn't tell me even if I did. Besides, I can find out about my past without your help. I want to limit contact with people who lied to me my whole life." I heard Cassie call my name and grabbed the rucksack on the ground, heaving it onto my back.

"I'll be keeping the keys myself this time," I told him. I motioned for the others to follow me and walked off without a word. I noticed Seth walking beside me with his usual gleeful smirk.

My homecoming wasn't what I thought it would be but at least I got something out of it. I scratched Seth under his snout and he playfully swiped my hand away. We both laughed and I caught Cassie looking at me. I smiled at her.

(-#-)

**Cassie**

I didn't smile back at Sam. I stared at him, worried and scared, as he scratched Seth behind the ears. These last few days I had seen a side to Sam I had never seen before. Impulsive, cold, violent. The way he acted, the rage I had seen in him, shocked me. All of a sudden, he didn't seem like the same person I had met. The anger that I had seen consume him was frightening. So much more for the fact that I had seen it before from another.

From my father.

I didn't want to be afraid of Sam. I didn't want to hate him. He was just under pressure; he was angry. I told myself this over and over so I didn't feel quite so terrified. And to reassure him, I twisted my mouth upwards and smiled as best I could. And he smiled back.

But so did Seth.

(-#-)

Walter stared at Sam and Cassie until they vanished from view, obscured by the beginnings of fog. He squinted and looked into the fog but there was no sign of them. He had to fight against the urge to go after them, to bring Sam back and not let him leave. He was safer here.

He gulped and shifted his stance as his feet began to groan and his back began to ache. It seems that was all he was doing nowadays: hurting. He turned around with a noticeable grimace and started to hobble back home. He needed a walking stick, he knew. He had known for a while but resented getting one. Walking sticks were for old men, he told himself. Old men, feeble men, men without strength, without hope for better times. Men who yearned for times long past. For times when they weren't old men.

But Walter was an old man. In his spirit and in his mind he had been one for more than sixteen years. It had just taken a while for his body to catch up with him.

No doubt, he was an old man now. Vivien's death had ensured that. He stopped for a moment as the familiar abyss of pain and sorrow threatened to engulf him once more. He choked back his sobs and wiped one rough hand against his face to wipe away any tears that might have stained his face.

Walter headed off again, walking towards his empty home. He flicked on the light as he entered and closed the door. The house felt cold but perhaps that was just him. He seemed to feel the cold a lot more recently. He wondered if that was some sort of omen. Religion and superstition had always been the same to him but perhaps he was becoming more open-minded.

He headed straight for the fireplace and only when the heat of a newly made fire had begun to warm his weary body did he sit down. He wandered over to an old armchair and pushed it closer to the heat before he settled into it. A photograph caught his eye and he saw the smiling face of Vivien before he could manage to look away.

Walter sighed. There seemed to be reminders everywhere.

There was a phone on the table nearby and Walter grabbed it, dialling a number he had never called before but had memorised anyway. It answered on the first ring and Walter spoke first.

"He's just left," he said. There was a sigh from the other end.

"I knew we couldn't have gotten him to stay in Celestic for long. He's a trainer now – that place isn't for him anymore."

"What are we going to do? He's looking into his past. If he finds out about-"

"He won't, Walter. We made sure no one knew about us. There's no way he could find out."

"Maybe you're right."

"I am."

"I… I never thanked you for…for Vivien. When I found out about her I just… I couldn't bear to…"

"I know how you felt about her, Walter. I knew you would never have sent me that letter otherwise. To contact me after fourteen years of silence…well it had to be important. After all, the longer Vivien was there the longer Sam would stay."

"I just wish she hadn't…so suddenly."

"I know. You should have told me when it happened. We could have done something."

"What could we have done? Sam didn't know about the money – I convinced Vivien not to tell him. If anything happened after her…he would just have gotten suspicious."

"How much did she know anyway?"

"I only ever told her I had some contacts. I said I knew some people who would take care of her. I never said anything about us. About Sam. As far as she knew, it was a total coincidence that I came into her life the day he did."

"I… I don't think I've ever said sorry about Vivien. I never met her but…I know that…"

"I loved her."

"…Yes."

"Those days are gone now. She's gone now. And so is Sam."

"It's going to fine, Walter. _He's _going to be fine. I'll make sure of it."

"Thank you. Thank you, James."

"Of course, old friend."


	22. Triumph

_Beta-Reader: Onlinewarrior094._

* * *

**Chapter 22: Triumph**

* * *

**Tempest**

The midday sun slowly ascended and passed above us, exuding a shining radiance that bathed everything in a golden glow. An occasional batch of cloud lingered in the sky and dimmed the light for a moment before it moved on, continuing its journey through the azure canvas of the sky.

On the earth below, a winding river forced its path through the rocky craggy hills. The uneven heights created waterfalls that littered the area – blue water and white foam changed colour under the illuminating light of the sun. The scent of water was carried through the air by the faint touch of a summer breeze and the gentle bite of the cold climate kept you focused and awake.

Quaint wooden bridges connected the peaks of the hills and pathways hewed from stone aided travellers. Trees and plants covered the more fertile areas of soil and their branches stretched outwards in a search for light and air. The pokémon were as varied as the plant life. Bibarel swam in the streams, hoothoot and noctowl nested in the trees and scyther darted through the landscape with ninja speed. It was an idyllic sight – a place of tranquillity and peace.

Or at least, that's what I think it would have looked like if I could see it.

"Why did we leave when it was foggy?" I heard Cassie's irritated voice say through the impenetrable cloak of white. "Why?"

"When there isn't fog here, there's rain," my trainer answered, sounding almost as irritated. "Would you prefer the rain?"

"At least, I'd be able to _see_ in the rain. Argh, damn it!"

"What is it?"

"I fell over a psyduck."

"Again? I don't know what you think a psyduck sounds like but I'm telling you that cry is way too high pitched."

"And I'm telling you that- okay, who just bit me?" I heard Seth laughing near me.

"That wasn't very nice," I told him through the fog. The blazing light of his tail could be seen as a faded beacon through the fog. The group walked along, guided by Camazotz and his echolocation. Rose kept his usual place on my back as I wandered along, feeling the soft grassy soil beneath my feet.

"Wrong direction, slowpoke," I heard him reply, not in my direction. The flame moved rapidly in motions I assumed to be Seth looking around. "Where are you?"

"Hey, we can insult you now," Rose said jubilantly. "And you can't do anything about it since you don't know where we are."

"No," Seth replied. "But if I set everything around me on fire…well you're bound to be one of the things."

"I can hear you, Seth," Midnight's voice emerged from behind us. "Don't make me come over there."

"Yeah right. What are you going to- ah, shit!"

"Oh, wow," Atrum commented from somewhere. "Arial ace really doesn't miss."

"Fuck off, Atrum!"

"I said stay to the right, man!" Camazotz's screeching voice from far ahead surprised us all. Presumably. "There's a fuckin' cliff like right there!"

"How're you holding up, Camazotz?" I heard Cassie ask loudly. Camazotz muttered something about needing a fix. I wondered what he needed to fix. Some sort of furniture item perhaps. I should offer to help with that.

"If you're attempting to repair some sort of table or chair then you have my full assistance, old boy." There was a period of silence before Rose finally spoke.

"I'm not sure what to make of that," he said.

"The author probably just wanted Tempest to say somethin' funny even if it didn't make sense."

"…I'm not sure what to make of that either." After a while and a few close calls where Camazotz had to make a quick dive to rescue Atrum, the fog began to lessen. The landscape may not have been as picturesque as I had envisioned but it was still a charming route.

Seth was scowling furiously and had a new cut on his chin. Midnight was smiling smugly as though she was responsible. Camazotz had disappeared for a moment but was back now and looked much more relaxed. He fluttered over to Rose and myself.

"So how long do you think it will be before someone drags us into a battle?" Rose asked. Camazotz considered this before he answered.

"I'm gonna say about-"

"Hey, you!" Cassie yelled. "Battle with us!" Rose and Camazotz groaned in unison but I kept smiling.

"Ah," I exclaimed. "A chance to engage in combat. Marvellous! Might I join in the battle, dear Sam?"

"Oh, did you want to battle, Tempest?"

"Certainly!"

"Well…okay. If you're sure." He pointed at the opponent and the raichu in front of her.

"Oh," I mumbled. "Oh bugger." The raichu shot an arc of lightning from his tail and flung me backwards. I went somewhat numb. That is to say, I lost all feeling in my body.

"Just give me a minute," I tried to say. Instead it came out as "ggjjggjjjmmnnmmmmnnnnnmmn". So I understand completely that Sam wasn't sure what I was trying to say. I tried to move but found that I couldn't. Then I thought to myself that I might as well have a little nap.

(-*-)

"…asleep for an hour! Try hitting him again!"

"I'm not going to hit my pokémon unless it's absolutely necessary. Look, he's waking up now!" I yawned – an enormous bellow of a yawn that made every part of me tremble as I slowly roused myself from slumber. I noticed everyone staring at me; Cassie was scowling and had her arms crossed as she tapped her foot in a grumpy manner.

"Oh, I'm sorry everyone. Were you waiting for me? Why, you should have woken me." All the pokémon either laughed or groaned. I wondered why.

Since it was getting late we decided to camp for the night and the routine we had made reasserted itself. Sam and Cassie could now easily construct the tents (with some help from the pokémon) and they both gazed proudly at them when the task was done. Alice and Atrum were already preparing some food – leftovers taken from the house in Celestic. Meanwhile the rest of us were cleaning the area and performing miscellaneous tasks to help out.

Cassie looked at Seth and indicated the circle of stones and the wood within where the campfire would be. He snickered.

"Yeah, I'll get right on that," he muttered, sounding amused. Sam snapped his fingers.

"Seth!" The charmeleon fired a burst of embers into the campfire and set it alight instantly. There was a moment of terse quiet where the three of them stopped and shot glances at each other. They all looked a little surprised but Cassie looked mainly worried while Sam wore a smug expression on his face. Atrum yelled as he tripped over something and the moment was broken.

The area was cleared, the tents were erected, the fire was lit and the food was prepared – all in record time. Rose and I all rested against the bark of an overlooking tree as Camazotz hung upside down immediately above us. We all gobbled up the delicious ambrosia of Alice's cooking.

"What is this, anyway?" Rose asked between mouthfuls. "I forgot to ask."

"I dunno, man," Camazotz said after a moment of thought. "Some kind of meat?"

"No it can't be that," Rose said. "I'm a budew. We don't eat meat."

"If Alice is cookin' you'll eat it. It don't matter what it is."

"It might be fish," I commented. "I do love fish. I remember catching fish in Johto. Ah, what a marvellous time that was!"

"This can't be fish," Rose disputed.

"It definitely some kind of meat, man. Maybe chicken. Is there even chicken here? Do we have chicken in this world or would that be torchic? But how would you cook torchic?"

"Hey, you're doing that thing where you go on and on about nonsense."

"My bad. Sorry, Rose." There was a minutes silence as we continued eating.

"I miss my closet, man," Camazotz muttered suddenly. Rose nodded in sympathy.

"I hope my plant's okay," he muttered.

"I'm perfectly happy right where we are," I exclaimed with the biggest grin I could manage. "We're in a beautiful place of nature and I'm surrounded by my friends. And there's food! But mostly because all my friends are here."

"Even me?" Seth strutted over and grabbed a fistful of Rose's food as he leaned against the tree. He wore that near-indelible smirk as he stared down at us, casually raking his claws against the tree bark and leaving deep gouges with his claws.

"Hey!" Rose yelled. "Give me back my-" Seth turned to him and snarled furiously with gleaming eyes and salient fangs. Rose's speech degenerated into a timid whimpering choke and he did his best to seem invisible.

"I really must protest!" I said indignantly even though I was slightly afraid of the charmeleon myself. He laughed, spitting some of the half-chewed food from his mouth.

"You protest all you want," he taunted, slowly finishing the rest of the food he had stolen from Rose. "It's not like I couldn't beat you again if I wanted!" Seth let out a short cry as a rock tumbled from the sky and struck him on the head.

"Comer las rocas, cabrón!" Camazotz shrieked from above, tossing another rock. Seth growled and shot a blast of fire from his mouth at the bat. I could feel the heat on my skin but I knew it was only a fraction of the intensity that plagued the others. Alice and Rose darted away immediately and I waved them towards me before returning fire with a blast of water.

The torrent forced Seth back momentarily before he turned to me. He didn't speak but his eyes seemed to warn me of impending pain and inconvenience (more the former than the latter). He opened his maw only for Midnight to slam into him hard. They tumbled to the ground, a flurry of furious snarls and grunts.

"Quick, Atrum!" I heard Camazotz yell. "Shout something about llamas to distract them!" Midnight roared down at Seth as she pinned him to the ground and Seth returned in kind with-

"Hey!" We all turned to see Sam walking towards us with an enraged expression on his face. Cassie followed behind him, a touch of worry in her glowering expression. "Everyone stop it!" A silence instantly descended upon us all as the commanding voice of my trainer rang through my thoughts. "Seth, get over here! Midnight, get off of him!" Seth moved to get up but Midnight growled slowly and pressed him back down with one paw. She turned her head towards Sam, her expression serious and detached but with a touch of resentment in her narrowed eyes.

"You're not my trainer," she uttered. All the other pokémon swivelled in unison – our heads turning to Sam and Cassie like they were synchronised. Sam seemed to understand and looked at Cassie. There was silence. Cassie stared at Seth and Midnight. Her face was unreadable. The stillness dragged on for what seemed like eternity. Sam frowned and opened his mouth to say something.

"It's okay, Midnight," Cassie finally said. "You can let him go." Midnight scraped her claws against Seth's chest as she clambered off him and stalked over to her trainer. Seth snarled at no one in particular as he got to his feet. He sent us a ferocious glare and stalked away.

I tapped Rose on the back to make sure he was feeling fine. He let out a nervous screech in response but tried to disguise it as a cough. The sun was disappearing behind the horizon as the night approached. Sleep started to take over our thoughts and we settled in for the night.

"What was that about?" I heard my trainer ask Cassie before I fell asleep. There was a slight pause.

"I just wanted to be sure…"

(-*-)

There was a cool, brisk wind blowing when we woke up the following morning and it helped to wake us up and enjoy the new day that was upon us.

"Damn it, it's so cold!"

"I think it looks a little like rain too…"

"Argh! I hate this region so much!" Ah yes, the marvellous new day that was here. We stopped regularly to battle with trainers and we saw some pokémon we had never seen before. Atrum seemed particularly curious.

"Oh, what's that?"

"That is a mothim, my dear boy."

"What about that?"

"That would be a chatot."

"And that! What's that?"

"…That's a tree."

"Right. I knew that. That is a thing that I knew. Definitely." The scenery had changed from rocky chasms to sprawling trees to long grass which towered above our heads. Alice and Atrum assisted in cutting a path through until finally the grass began to thin and we emerged on to the road. The grass gave way to gravel and the edges of a small town. It looked like it had been built fairly recently – certainly comparison with Celestic or Oreburgh or even Jubilife. There was a sign that probably said the name of the town but I couldn't read it and the trainers didn't notice it.

On the very edge of the town there was a small building. A charmingly quaint sign hung sideways from the roof, obscuring the window slightly. The slightly rusted metal and the mildly rotten wood gave the building a charmingly rustic appearance. We walked over to admire it.

"Wow," Cassie muttered. "What a dump."

"The sign says Café Cabin," Sam replied after squinting at the indecipherable letters on the faded sign.

"That's generic. Ever heard of it?"

"No but I'm sure the minute we step in someone will start talking about the _good old days_." Cassie allowed herself a smile.

"Is there a menu?" she asked. Sam examined the sign again. I noticed Atrum looking at it intently and I couldn't figure out why. After all, it wasn't as though he could read and there weren't any colourful pictures.

"It just says milk."

"A diner dedicated solely to milk?"

"Apparently."

"Sometimes I wonder how this economy manages to survive." With that final confusing sentiment from Cassie we all stepped forward and prepared to enter the quaint little building to see what wonders lay inside.

(-#-)

**Rose**

Some might have described the building before us as quaint. This is about as accurate as calling it a suspension bridge. Beneath the peeling layer of sickly paint there was the rusted metal and the wood so rotten it was almost falling apart.

It looked like the place where happiness went to die. Actually, it looked like the place where it would go to get drunk, yell at the bartender, burst into tears and fall unconscious on the floor in a pile of vomit and alcohol where it would die slowly.

Yes, it was _that_ depressing. And that was just the outside. The inside was marginally less of a pit but only because I had expected dreary lighting, broken tables and chairs, and everyone inside to be old male humans nursing alcohol drinks. Instead we were greeted by the sight of a run down interior with everyone sitting in corners and staring blankly. They looked to be thinking of old times, good times, times when they had something to do other than go to this place and stare blankly. Times long past by the look of things.

"Customers!" I heard a human yell. The group turned to see a man behind the counter rush towards us. He seemed frantically excited by our presence. I was surprised – normally our presence seemed to make people eager to leave or make us leave. "It's been so long since I've…" He trailed off and a touch of concern entered his voice. "You _are_ customers aren't you?"

"Uh, I suppose we are," Sam said, looking as taken aback as the rest of us with the warm welcome. Us pokémon were almost unanimously unimpressed. Except, of course, for one.

"Why, what a remarkable place!" Tempest exclaimed with the jolliness and enthusiasm always exemplified by him. Seth curled his lips in distaste and waited outside. Alice seemed a little excited to be in a "restaurant". It's not that I'm unfamiliar with the word it's just that I wasn't sure this place qualified. It was more of a "saloon" or a "rut". Atrum looked around with his usual confusion and Midnight glanced around carefully. She looked like she was expecting everyone to suddenly become ninjas and swarm us. We weren't best friends but I knew Midnight well enough to know how paranoid she was about Alice and her trainer. Camazotz was outside but was intently examining a section of the wall. With nothing else to do I listened to the human's conversation.

"I remember the good old days," he said wistfully. Cassie groaned and turned sideways to give and exasperated smile to Sam. The human continued, obviously oblivious to Sam and Cassie's disinterest. "People would come for miles around to buy bottles and bottles of milk. One bottle at a time." Cassie stopped and frowned. She looked like she was desperately trying to wrap her head around the idea but the other human interrupted with a sigh.

"Ever since that chain store opened up a few years back we've been struggling to keep open." He indicated at a spot outside through the window. Sam and Cassie looked through the window that was too tall for me to see over, not that that annoyed me. I stalked over and somehow managed to climb up to the counter using the chairs.

"MegaMilk?" Cassie asked disbelievingly in response to what she saw through the window. "Really?" The human continued.

"I've heard they've got dozens of different kinds of milk for sale," he said. "How can I compete with that?" Cassie muttered something under her breath which Sam covered up with a fake cough.

"We tried to attract some more business…"

"You branched out into other products?" There was a hopeful tone to Cassie's voice.

"Nope. We offered people the chance to buy more than one carton of MooMoo Milk at a time."

"That may have been one of your biggest problems."

"What, the special offer?"

"No, the fact that you were calling it _MooMoo Milk_!"

"Well, you haven't lost _all_ your customers," Sam said to change the subject, apparently referring to the happy campers.

"Oh, they don't buy anything," the man replied. "They just come here every day and wait for someone to battle them." This instantly caught Cassie's attention and she wandered off towards the personifications of enthusiasm. Sam turned back to the human and raised an eyebrow.

"Do they not realise that they would get more challenges if they went out instead of sitting here everyday?"

"Don't tell them that!"

"Why not?"

"If they leave I'll have no one."

"But they don't buy anything."

"Not yet but someday one of them might get thirsty and decide to buy a drink of milk. And I will sell it to them for an outrageous price… I mean, reasonable price."

I watched Alice jump up onto the counter and land near me. She wandered over to a bottle of milk sitting on the counter and began to scrutinise it.

"This isn't even milk," she muttered in disbelief and disapproval.

"Well then what is it?" I asked, curious as to what rancid poison they were passing off as milk. She sniffed it like a human might sniff a glass of wine to discern its quality.

Where did that simile come from?

"I think there's _some_ milk in it – not sure if it's miltank – but mostly it's water. With a faint dash of-" She suddenly seemed to realise she was talking to me and trailed off with a nervous choking sound. It was fine that she didn't want to talk. After all that was the most she had ever said to me. I think it may have been the only time she had spoken to me. What a chatterbox Alice was. Still, I was curious now as to what was in the "milk".

"Let me see," I said and tried to look inside. Unfortunately, budew weren't designed to peer down bottles of milk so something that should have been predictable happened. One crash later and the owner turned to us. He spotted me and Alice on the counter top and the broken bottle on the floor.

"Stupid sneasel breaking all my merchandise!" Alice flinched. As she turned away submissively and seemed to curl up a little, she looked like she might cry.

It wasn't surprising to find the human blamed the dark pokémon instead of the grass pokémon but to have him blame Alice was something else. It wasn't fair to blame her. No only did she not do anything wrong, she never did anything wrong. And yet she was always going to get the blame simply because humans – and, I'll admit it, sometimes pokémon – had an opinion of her that she wouldn't be able to change.

Now I might not be able to do anything about human bigotry but there was something I could do.

"I'll have to insist that you buy your milk and leave," the human said. Cassie seemed frozen with rage and Sam was about to say something.

The human let out a yell and fell to the ground as golden dust surrounded him. He twitched as the stun spore started to have effect, fixing a glare at me.

"Oh no," I said in a sarcastic monotone. "I accidentally maliciously attacked the human." Sam and Cassie fought to conceal grins. Alice looked at me with awe.

"Thank you," she choked out timidly. I shrugged dismissively.

"Hey!" We all turned our attention to the anthropomorphic happy squad. They were rising out of their corners and looked mad.

"I think it's time to leave now," Sam muttered, cautiously backing away along with the rest of us. One woman grabbed a bottle of milk and smashed it against the table, turning the makeshift weapon against us.

"Oh my," Tempest muttered.

"Now we run," Sam said as we all turned and ran. Well, I needed some help from Camazotz who picked me up as we rushed outside and carried me along. Sam just returned Tempest rather than forcing the slowpoke to keep up with us. And so we fled: two humans, a charmeleon, an absol, a mightyena, a sneasel and a golbat carrying a budew. And from whom did we flee? A crowd of depressed older humans carrying broken milk bottles, pursuing us from a rusted diner from a town in the middle of nowhere.

When I became a trained pokémon I did not expect my life to be like this. We stopped to rest when we cleared the vestiges of the town and lost the angry mob in the beginnings of the treeline. A few of us were breathless.

"Come on," Cassie said after a few minutes. "If we can't spend the night in the town then we might as well keep going."

"It still looks like rain," Sam warned.

"We'll get to Veilstone before that happens."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure."

(-*-)

I woke up when it started to rain. Then again, hurricane might be a better word to describe the violent storm of water and wind that had surrounded us. The dark covering of clouds blocked off most of the light and the chaotic scene of the camp could be seen only by the beams of light from Sam and Cassie's devices and the somewhat diminished blaze of Seth's tail. The rain may not even have been what woke me – the panicked shouts could have as well. One of the tents was blowing away and everyone was rushing around trying to pack up. Sam and Alice were frantically stuffing the other tent into a bag while the others gathered up everything they could.

I jumped up from where I was sleeping next to Tempest and joined in to help. I didn't particularly want to but it was something I had to do. The turmoils of my life as a trained pokémon.

The rain beat down hard and made every action that much harder. I helped Midnight stuff things into the bags, jumping up and down. Midnight looked tired and she was dripping wet. She shivered but covered it up and rushed off to Sam and Cassie.

Seth was sticking close to our trainer who was sheltering him with his jacket. I saw fear in the charmeleon's face as the water continued to fall. His eyes darted around and he was practically hugging Sam. The terror on his face seemed to humanise him. He wasn't the sadistic golden menace right then. He was a frightened fire type clinging to his trainer in the rain.

That didn't mean I didn't enjoy seeing his discomfort of course, it just meant that I would feel slightly guilty about it later on. It was a good trade off. Screaming brought me back to reality.

"Where are the pokéballs?"

"They're in the bag!"

"Fuck! Get the tent!"

"It's blowing away!"

"Camazotz! CAMAZOTZ!"

"Yeah, man? What's flyin' up there all like a tent? Oh, it's a tent. Oh, it's _our_ tent… Oh fuck, it's our tent!" Camazotz grabbed the airborne tent in his mouth as Sam and Cassie grabbed the bags and started to run. Tempest was just starting to wake up.

"What's happening?" he asked lazily. Camazotz swooped down to say something – muffled by his mouth being full. In the end he settled with hitting Tempest lightly to wake him up a bit more. Tempest's eyes began to droop and I felt like screaming in frustration when Sam arrived.

"Get Rose," he yelled at Camazotz as he picked up Tempest with both arms. He staggered a couple of times but righted himself just as Camazotz picked me up with his not-quite-talons. Sam moved slowly under the weight of the slowpoke and the force of the rain but we caught up with the others eventually. Midnight, Alice and Seth were all crowded around Cassie as she tried to shield them all with about four jackets. Cassie pointed a finger as we approached.

"There's a cave over there in the rock wall!"

"We're not going to fit in there!"

"Would you rather stay out here?"

"And into the cave we go." And into the cave we went. The smallest most claustrophobic cave I've ever been in. It was a struggle for us all to get in there and even more so to stay in there.

Grass pokémon, you can probably guess, don't like caves. Plus, as the shortest and most delicate being there I knew there was a roughly fifty-fifty chance I would escape the schism without getting squashed. Bearing that in mind there was only one thing for me to do. I jumped on top of Atrum's back. He was the tallest one there who wasn't on fire. Besides, he was my best friend and I trusted him completely (still not sure why.)

He reacted about as well as could be expected – with the calm and grace always displayed by the absol.

"There's something on my back there's something on my back get it off get it off get it off!"

"It's just me!"

"Rose's on my back Rose's on my back get him off get him off get him off!" To say he moved like a delusional spoink on hot coals might be a little bit extreme but in an enclosed space with two humans and five other pokémon it certainly seemed like it. All the angry cries seemed to mesh into a symphony of irritation.

"Ah, Atrum what are you doing-"

"-stop moving around-"

"-not enough space-"

"-can't fucking breathe-"

"-crushing my leg!" Ironically, if I was on the ground then the ensuing chaotic scramble would probably have crushed me. For once, irony had worked in my favour.

"Hey, get lost," someone said in the damp darkness behind us. "This is my spot!" We all stopped our anarchic fluster for air. Sam twisted around to face whoever had spoken.

"Anyone there?" he asked, kind of unnecessarily I thought.

"Yeah, I'm here fuckface! Now get out of my spot!"

"I'm sure there's plenty of space here for everyone," Tempest said from somewhere beneath me.

"There's barely room for one of us," Midnight replied pragmatically.

"Dibs on the one of us," Seth piped up.

"Why should we have to leave?" Cassie demanded, showing her angry side. I could picture her scowling at the human who dared to irritate her. He was much braver than I was. Not that that's hard.

"Because I was here first," the angry voice replied. "And because I don't have any fucking dark pokémon!" You could feel the tension in the air – made almost solid by the rage of Cassie and the snarls of Midnight.

"Fine," Cassie said and not sounding like she meant it. "We'll settle it in a pokémon battle. Winner gets to stay, loser goes out in the rain." Why does every conflict have to boil down to battling? Why can't humans ever settle things with poker or a race? Why not card games?

Actually, that would be ridiculous.

"Fine by me. Who am I beating?"

"I'll do it." Of course, it would be Sam to jump at the chance. It's not like he would have to go out in the rain to battle as well.

"Three on three?"

"That's fine." I wasn't really worried. Don't take that as confidence in my abilities. I just knew that anyone who could insult a mightyena in an enclosed area with no chance to escape couldn't be that bright.

There was a squeeze as Sam forced his way out into the rain.

"What are you doing?" the genius trainer asked.

"I'm not making my pokémon fight in the rain if I'm not willing to do the same," he replied, already soaking wet. "If you want to stay inside then you can…of course you'd have to deal with the dark pokémon you just insulted." The genius began to stammer but a growl from Midnight made him jump outside. He yelped and moaned about the rain down his back. I felt a rush of pride to have Sam as my trainer and I could see that everyone else felt the same. Smiles appeared on the faces of my fellow pokémon – even on Seth although that was probably more about the discomfort of the other human than about Sam. Atrum snorted beneath me.

"All he did was step into the rain," he muttered. "And he was already wet." I guess not everyone was impressed. Sam called Tempest out and suddenly there was enough room for me to stand. I carefully jumped off of Atrum who actually shuddered in relief. Tempest paused right outside the entrance to the cave.

"Oh look, everyone!" he yelled. "It's raining!"

"Really, Tempest. I had no idea."

"You certainly ought to be more observant, Rose." How do I put up with this?

On the improvised battlefield of the road the genius shivered and tried to shake off excess water. He swore and reached into his pocket for a pokéball, releasing a croagunk in a flash of red. The fighting type yelped just like his trainer when confronted with the falling rain. The thick rain reduced visibility but I could still make out the battle.

Sam yelled out a command and Tempest shot off a confusion which the croagunk nimbly avoided. The fighting type was much too fast for Tempest to hit and so the fight continued like this for a while with Tempest getting the occasional lucky hit.

The beating rain seemed to affect the croagunk but it rolled off the slowpoke's skin like…well, like rain. The croagunk began to tire but he darted in and stabbed Tempest with what looked like a poison jab. Sam shouted out in sympathy but Tempest waved him off.

"Don't worry about me chaps; it's just some mild poison. I'll be fine just as soon as I lie down for a moment." As he said this he swayed and collapsed on top of the croagunk. There was a squelching noise and the sound of muffled cries.

"Oh fuck get him off me I can't breathe!" I heard my trainer sigh as he returned Tempest from on top of the newly-fainted croagunk.

"You're up, Rose," he said. Of course I was.

I stepped out of the shelter of the cave and was instantly bombarded with the descending torrent of rain. It had gotten even heavier and it was like someone was actively hitting me with rocks. With the discomfort of the rain and the fear of the impending battle I wasn't exactly my usual confident self but I gulped and made my way towards the battle. Sam must have noticed my apprehension and he smiled encouragingly at me. It was a small gesture but it made me fell better. Sam's faith inspired me. I've noticed that; the faith of a trainer can do that.

I took my place in front of my trainer and faced the genius, awaiting his next pokémon. Then something occurred to me: the inevitability of every battle I had been in.

And suddenly, I knew what was coming.

"Go, gyarados!" Yeah. I knew this was coming. I mean what _else_ could it have been other than a gyarados. Notice the lack of question mark in that sentence.

Gazing upwards I was met with the all too familiar sight of a gyarados looming down at me. The torrent of falling rain made it difficult to see properly but there was no disguising the wide toothy grin it wore or the glint in its eyes. It didn't seem to care much for the weather – on the contrary, the rain only served to strengthen its power. Its tail swished back and forth with the strength of about a hundred budew. It moved its head closer to me and spoke.

The words were confusing; unknown to me and everyone else who heard them. All gyarados were a mystery for they spoke a language that was unknown to all but them. They spoke words of power and meaning that filled my heart with fear.

"Nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan!" See what I mean? Terrifying.

"Oh well," I muttered to myself. "Might as well get this over with." I stepped forward and burst out a stun spore from the top of my bud. The roaring wind carried the paralyzing dust into the gyarados' eyes and it screamed in primal fury.

"NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN NYAN!" I shuddered at the force and rage behind the words (if that was what they were) and attacked with mega drain. The successful hit restored my confidence more than my health but at least it was a hit.

The gyarados fought against the paralysis and swung its tail in an arc. It must have misjudged my height because all I felt was a rush of air as the scaled tail soared above my head. I breathed a sigh of relief but moved anyway – that was a close call – in accordance with my trainer's commands. The gyarados lashed out again.

"Nyan nyan NYAN!" I ducked and rolled (pretty far too) through the wet ground and mud before turning to the gyarados and dealing it a few more mega drains and another stun spore. A dread set in as I realised the wind had changed and I watched the stun spore dissipate as the wind blew it the other way.

The gyarados turned his head to face me.

"Nyan nyan NYAN!" I braced myself, barely noticing the rain was starting to let up and the sun was banishing the darkness of night. Sam yelled out and I gulped.

"NYAN!" An enormous blast of bluish-gold flames erupted from the water type. The strange feeling of the cold shock of dragon rage was familiar – as was my propulsion through the air like a leaf in the wind. What wasn't quite as familiar was what came after.

I blinked and lifted my face from the mud. I was bruised and hurt and wet and cold but I was not defeated. Which was a first. The gyarados looked surprised too.

"Nyan nyan nyan nyan?" it cried with obvious confusion. The sun continued its ascent and while the rain never disappeared entirely its relentless assault began to lessen. I narrowed my eyes and slowly walked towards the gyarados. It leered down at me still but I ignored it, focusing on my trainer's last command.

I reached down inside of me and brought forth power. I grabbed at something new and harnessed it in my mind. And then I reached out and brought it into the world. The world around me dimmed as I focused on the ground before me. The pebbles began to shake as a root thrust its way through the dirt and spiralled to the surface, grasping at the air.

Another root shot up farther away, faster now. I kept my focus and as the first root descended back through the earth more began to poke through. The ground shook like liquid as the upsurge of plants shot towards the gyarados. It shot a panicked glance at me as it tried to dodge. It moved awkwardly and tried to slither away.

"Oh no you don't!" I screamed, the sun rising steadily behind me. I tightened my grasp on the system of roots and plants and flowers and grass and sent out one last thought. The earth shimmered beneath the gyarados as a network of roots thrust out of the ground. It resembled a talon and it was covered in mud, earth and flowers and dripping wet.

The smell of wet clay and the aroma of plants filled me with joy. The talon of grass clutched the gyarados' tail and sharply pulled with unexpected speed. The gyarados bellowed as the pull of the roots forced its tail from under it. The faux dragon seemed to move in slow motion as it tumbled to the ground head first. I relished the sound of its drawn out roar.

"NNNNNYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAANNNNNN!" There was an almighty crash of immense proportions as the gyarados slammed into the wet earth. Propelled by its own momentum it rolled and skidded through the mud until it came to a rest right in front of me. Its head and body were bruised, beaten and baked with dirt. It slowly turned one eye to me, shining in the glow of sunrise.

"Grass knot, bitch!" I screamed. "The bigger they are the harder they fall!"

"Nnnnnyyyaaaannnnn…" it mumbled like the fallen giant it was. Its eyes closed. My joy instructed me to shout and I did so, laughing and yelling. My happiness was extreme and unrivalled.

And then I felt something.

A surge of feeling inside me as a strange sensation took hold. I felt a slight pulling and pushing as my body began to change. A tingling sensation quickly numbed my body and enveloped me in ecstasy and bliss. I was surrounded by a glow that blocked out sight and made me oblivious to everything. It lasted only a few seconds but seemed eternal.

It faded as quickly as it began and returned me to reality. The bruises were gone and I felt healthy again but there was something new. The rain had been reduced to a drizzle now and the new light showed me my new form as I looked down to find myself as a roselia.

"YES!" I screamed at the top of my voice, dancing in place. "I'M SLIGHTLY TALLER! AND I HAVE ARMS!" I examined my newly created flower-petal hands. "Well, sort of…" The other trainer returned his gyarados but my victory was remembered without the physical reminder. I felt an embrace by Sam as he lifted me up, praising my performance and admiring my new form. I was only half listening.

I was (and this will be the only time I use the cliché) on top of the world. Nothing could bring me down. Absolutely nothing.

I forced my way out of Sam's arms and strutted back over to the battlefield.

"Come on, what else have you got?" I taunted. "I'll take them all down. You don't mess with a roselia! No you don't mess-"

"Go, gyarados!" the opponent trainer yelled. I stopped.

Oh, come on! Are you fucking kidding me? Really? Fucking really? I mean, goddamn it!

I sighed and looked up at my new opponent.

"Any chance we could call this a draw?" I asked. The gyarados scowled.

"DOCTOR OCTOGONAPUS!" It roared. "BLAAAHHHH!" A hyper beam hit me dead on.

I hate gyarados.

(-#-)

**Tempest**

"I was _this_ close to actually winning a battle by myself!" Rose yelled in frustration as we walked on. "_This close_!" Camazotz nodded in sympathy to Rose's plight.

"Don' worry 'bout it, man," he said reassuringly. "You still beat a gyarados. And you evolved!" It was true. Rose's once feeble looking budew form had transformed into a roselia. He looked more like a flower than a bud now. A thorny green head rested on a thin body and two flowers snaked out from his shoulders. One red, one blue, their contrast in vibrancy was striking. Though he wasn't that much taller he carried with him a newfound strength and confidence.

He walked next to me; his steps were much larger now and no longer required me to carry him. Camazotz flew overhead as usual. I noticed however, that the other pokémon all walked in step with us. Alice exchanged a smile with Rose as she walked between Atrum and Midnight on my right. Even Seth had joined us although most of his contributions involved him reaffirming his power and malice after he had showed his vulnerability in the rain the night before. Sam and Cassie walked a few steps ahead, talking and glancing at a map that Cassie had.

"Veilstone," Rose said aloud, "What's there?"

"There a huge department store," Camazotz answered. "Big casino district, a port, some warehouses. There's mucho meteors too, man."

"What's there that we should care about?" Midnight asked.

"Oh, right, there a gym. Fighting, if I remember right."

"Excellent," Seth muttered with a smile. "That shouldn't be a problem."

"Unless they know rain dance," Atrum muttered, just loud enough to be heard. The others muffled their snickers as Seth growled.

"_I_ have the type advantage," he said, turning to Atrum, Alice and Midnight. "You three are all screwed."

"Is it a big city?" Alice asked without warning, surprising us.

"It's pretty big," Camazotz admitted.

"Don't worry, Alice old girl," I muttered, tapping her reassuringly on the shoulder as we walked on. "As long as we're together you couldn't possibly be harmed. We'll all protect you."

"Yeah, even Seth," Midnight said, and turned to stare at the charmeleon. "Unless you like the odds of surviving another fight with all of us…" Everyone turned their heads to see Seth's reaction to the thinly veiled challenge. He smirked and burst out into laughter.

"Please," he muttered dismissively. "Maybe if-" Seth grunted in pain as a fresh cut appeared above his eye. He glared at the one who had attacked him.

"She means _all_ of us," Alice said calmly, Seth's blood dripping from her claws. There was a tense moment – quickly diffused when Seth began to laugh even harder.

"Okay," he said, still smirking. "You've earned my respect…Alice." The conversation continued, Seth threatened, Midnight mocked, Atrum asked questions and Camazotz said crazy things. Just like normal.

Except for the first time I felt like the group was undeniably together. We were friends now; we were family; we were inseparable. And we would keep on going – to Veilstone and beyond.

To journey on and see what wonders awaited us.


	23. Tertiary

_Beta-Reader: Onlinewarrior094._

* * *

**Chapter 23: Tertiary**

* * *

**Seth**

I smelled the city before I saw it. The unmistakable stench of humanity reached out like talons from the sprawling metropolis of Veilstone. The smell of oil and steel and rubber seemed to infest every inch of the surroundings. I turned up my nose as a feeling of anger and regret overwhelmed me: another place left stained by the unstoppable march of humanity. At least it was better than Jubilife.

The mountain overlooking the vast blue ocean had been carved open to let the city spread like a mound of ravenous insects suffusing from their hive. The mountain's dissection was uneven though. Although the centre was flat the suffusion of the humans had forced them to build on the steeps and slopes around them. As such, the city stood at different heights. Mounds of rocky hills and small mountains jutted out from the earth at varying heights. Skyscrapers on the lower sections only barely surpassed the houses on the hills above.

The city looked like it had been hewn almost entirely from rock and the stone city walls projected a cold atmosphere. There were a large number of warehouses by the edge of the city overlooking the indigo sea and the modern-looking port. There were the usual apartment blocks, office buildings and houses in the suburbs with some labs, warehouses, casinos, department stores and a gym.

It was just another filthy human city. It wasn't the deplorable faux modern-meets-ancient tourist-trap of Eterna. It wasn't Celestic's amalgamation of every stereotype of a small country town. It didn't have the suffocating sweetness of honey and flowers like Floaroma did. It didn't possess the quiet, ghostly serenity of-

I stopped myself – banishing the mere memory from my mind as I focused on the present. A sharp pain was welcome as I bit my tongue. I tasted the metallic tang of my own blood. It distracted me from memories long past.

"Is there something the matter?" I heard the slowpoke ask. I snarled at him and pulled away, toying with my everstone.

"There's no need to be grumpy." I had a reply to that but Sam interrupted me. Sam. The name no longer felt like a burden to say. He was a mediocre nuisance of a trainer and a human but he was no longer the bane of my situation. I wouldn't go so far as to say I respected him – and definitely not that I liked him – but I would certainly pause before slaughtering him like the animal he was.

That's really the best he could have hoped for.

"We're getting close to the city," Sam said, stopping the group and looking at Girl. She frowned.

"What?" she asked. Sam tilted his head towards the pokémon and Girl scowled.

"Are you serious?" she asked angrily. Sam shrugged.

"We _did _agree not to attract too much attention and Veilstone isn't as liberal about dark types as other cities. You think we got a bad reaction in Eterna? That was nothing. There would be riots if we wandered in with three dark pokémon and a golbat." Girl gritted her teeth and crossed her arms.

"Fine," she finally agreed. "But we're keeping one of your pokémon out."

"Seth," my trainer answered immediately. That got my attention. Mine and everyone else's. The other pokémon ceased their pointless conversations and turned to Sam. Girl just stared at him. He held his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"He's my strongest pokémon and we've seen how people react to him," my trainer argued. "People like him."

"Of course they do!" Girl shot back. "They don't know he's-" She cut herself off and cast a glance at me.

"Go on," I taunted her with a smirk. "Finish." She gulped and looked away. The others had similar cowardly reactions. They all cast quick nervous glances in my direction but none of them had the courage to dispute Sam's choice. Even Midnight remained silent though she stared at me with narrow eyes and a barely detectable growl escaping her throat. She glared daggers at me when Girl returned her to the confinement of her pokéball. The other pokémon were all returned too though none of them showed the rage of the mightyena. I relished the feeling of freedom. I was alone with the humans without Midnight breathing down my neck or the slowpoke on standby with a water gun or Atrum with his raging paranoia – always watching me. I slowly twisted my head up to see the two humans.

I could kill them now. There was no one to stop me and they would be no match for my power. I might never learn Atrum's secret. This was my chance – it might never happen again. I could hide the pokéballs. I could bury them and return some day as a charizard to kill them one by one. Midnight would die last but I would make her watch me kill the others.

I would rip apart the golbat and watch the roselia burn. Alice would feel the power of my flames and the slowpoke would feel my fangs. Atrum would die slowly to be sure (and he would tell me his secrets before the end) but Midnight would suffer the most. She would scream and curse and beg for death.

I could kill them now. I could. Sam's would be a quick death and I would kill him first. One swipe to the throat was all I needed. The girl would suffer though. She may be right not to trust me but she would pay for it anyway. I would taste her flesh before she died and she would watch me do it.

Sam shot me a smile and rooted in his pocket. He took out a small packet of biscuits and handed me one. I took it graciously and slowly nibbled on it as the three of us walked towards the city.

I could kill them now. I could. But I would have to get my own lunch…

Oh well, maybe later.

(-*-)

Our entrance to the city was a dramatic one – though not because of us. The humans somehow managed to enter the city in the gambling district. Thus as we strolled into the city the flashing lights of the casinos fixated on us. Flashing neon lights of all colours followed our paths and when they hit me I shone. The multicoloured illumination reflected off my golden scales and gave me a mighty glowing aura.

There were shocked gasps as we walked by. The humans cast admiring gazes at Sam and me. Children stared and pointed with wide eyes and mouths agape. Some people whistled and others just smiled approvingly as we passed. Even some of the pokémon looked impressed although most of them just muttered "show off" under their breath. Sam returned all the smiles and waves – not noticing the fear and apprehension that I could see in their eyes. In everyone's eyes.

"You're loving this attention," Girl hissed at Sam under her breath.

"I don't know what you mean," Sam answered bluntly. From my vantage point below him I could see the edges of a smile on his face. Oh he enjoyed this even more than Girl thought he did. Even more then _he _thought he did. I've seen his type before. They act all nice and friendly but at the end of the day that's just an act. They just want people to like them. And if people don't like them…

Well, the human Walter is a good example of how cold people can be. That's probably why I don't hate Sam quite as much as other humans. He's kind and respectful to me while still retaining the capability of being calculated and violent. With most people and pokémon you can't have both. Sam's refreshing that way.

As we walking among the imposing stone towers of Veilstone I couldn't help but notice that the regard and awe of the residents masked something else: fear. Even the pokémon were subdued and suspicious of our presence and their eyes never seemed to leave us. There was also a huge police presence. You could recognise them from the blue uniforms they wore and the stern expressions on their faces.

Then I noticed other things. Strange marks left by bullets on the walls. Scorch marks from flames. Broken signs and boarded-up windows and dilapidated buildings encompassed by yellow tape.

This city was broken. Its authority figures were distrusting and wary and its inhabitants were scared. I wondered what had become of this place. I wondered what had left this human metropolis such a pathetic shadow of a place. I stayed close to the humans as we walked to the pokémon centre: possibly the only place in Veilstone that could remotely be considered alive. Even then, it had a cold and subdued atmosphere.

We spent a while there as the humans did the usual trivial things relating to being a pokémon trainer. They booked a room, arranged some food and got directions. It wasn't until later when something slightly interesting happened. Sam was talking to another man when he asked,

"Could you give us directions to the gym?" The man adopted an even uglier expression than the one he wore – an impressive feat for a human let alone one who looked like him. He muttered something before walking off. Girl scowled and placed her hands on her hips.

"That's the third time that's happened," she said. She happened to be right in this regard. The humans' questions had been met with hostility and belligerence from almost everyone. Apparently not even my presence could make them helpful. It was an odd reaction by all accounts. It also annoyed me greatly; the quicker one of these idiots pointed their stubby fingers in the direction of the gym the quicker we could get there, beat the leader and leave this city.

Their reluctance to help filled me with frustration and rage. I felt my paws tingle and my claws seemed to become sharper as the anticipation of violence took hold. My mind filled with images of destruction and blood – of these pathetic humans and their blood on my teeth and claws.

I smiled.

Girl noticed and shuddered. Sam, meanwhile, was speaking to some human behind the counter. They were talking quietly – almost in whispers. It was no challenge for me to hear them with my enhanced hearing but Girl had to strain her ears.

"Maylene isn't very popular anymore," the woman behind the counter replied to whatever Sam had said. She tried and failed to hide a bitter scowl. "She hasn't been for a long time now."

"Why?" Sam asked. The other human gave an exaggerated snort of derision. She slowly moved her head from side to side and beckoned the humans closer. I groaned at the ridiculous cliché she was indulging in. It was obvious she had told this story many times before and loved it when people asked her. She had perfected the routine by now it seems. Complete with conspiratorial whispers.

"It all began sixteen years ago," she said, her voice trembling slightly for effect. "It was a cold October night and the stars were covered in a blanket of darkness. I remember waking up in a cold sweat that morning – terrified with no idea why. If I had only known what horrors awaited me…" I honestly found it painful to listen to the human's attempt at dramatic storytelling and I don't think I could recount it again so paraphrasing is necessary.

"After Team Galactic almost destroyed reality," she didn't say, "the whole region was thrown into chaos. We had known about them but dismissed them; they looked ridiculous and most of them seemed to be really stupid. But then they blew up Lake Valor, captured six Legends and stormed Mount Coronet to break through to another dimension so their boss could rewrite reality. And he almost managed it too. He would have if not for…" She paused, then shook her head and continued speaking like nothing had happened.

"There were riots throughout Sinnoh as the remnants of Galactic were rounded up and arrested. A lot of them didn't go quietly and hundreds died. Team Galactic was centred in Veilstone so that got hit the worst. Riots, curfews and a crime rate higher than Mount Coronet made the aftermath hell. It got even worse when Saturn disappeared after being acquitted."

"He was what?" Sam and Girl asked in unison. The other human nodded.

"Team Galactic was a huge organisation that revolutionised energy production in Sinnoh and made the region top of the world in new sources of alternative energy. They were in charge of the wind farm in Floaroma, the sunlight canopy of Sunnyshore and the revamp of Oreburgh mines. Saturn inherited all the company's assets. He bought pretty much every lawyer in the region, got himself acquitted on a technicality and vanished. No one's seen him since.

"The residents of Veilstone didn't like this of course. So they staged the biggest riot in the history of the region, took over the city and burned Galactic HQ to the ground. That was the point at which Maylene finally stepped in."

"What happened?" Sam asked. It's necessary to note that she was genuinely emotional about this next part.

"She quarantined the city and imposed martial law." The humans looked shocked and I raised an eyebrow myself.

"She…" Sam seemed unable to complete the sentence. The other human sighed.

"They were…dark times. My uncle died that year – along with two of my cousins. The prisons filled up in a month. Every street had its own murder victim." Maybe my initial judgement was wrong: the human seemed uncomfortable and struck by the sadness endured at the time. She shook her head and continued on.

"The city wasn't opened up again for years and only because of pressure from the other gym leaders and the League. It was ten years before Veilstone went back to something like normal. Even now Maylene governs the city with an iron fist and most of the police force is her own fighters.

"That day broke the region. Cities closed themselves off, emigration soared and tonnes of government officials retired. Candice abdicated her position just a couple weeks after Team Galactic. Byron retired a few years ago too. Professor Rowan left his post after…" There was another pause, longer this time and with a mournful expression.

"My point," she said again, quieter and somehow sadder – as if she was remembering things she wished had stayed forgotten, "is that Maylene stopped working for the city long ago. Now she's working for herself. And if you're smart then you'll beat her and leave this city as soon as you can." The woman handed Sam a pamphlet and walked away without a word. The three of us stood for a moment in silence. The bustling noise of the centre took on a darker tone in light of what we had heard. Looking around I could see suspicion and fear in the humans' eyes.

"You never told me it was that bad," Girl whispered to Sam, her voice sorrowful and broken.

"I was only a kid when all this happened," Sam explained in a similarly morose voice. "It didn't affect Celestic all that much anyway. I heard it was bad in the big cities but…" The tense moment was broken when a small human child bounded up to us and pointed at me. Its eyes were full of naïve wonder.

"Mommy, mommy!" it squealed. "It's a charmeleon! And it's my favourite colour: yellow!"

"Gold," I corrected, growling through gritted teeth. Sam smiled at the small human while placing a hand on my shoulder, gently holding me in place. I could see Girl panicking beside us. Sam muttered something to the child as the mother came over.

"Can I pet him?" the child asked.

"No!" Girl shrieked at the same time that Sam said, "Probably not." The mother suddenly seemed to realise what was happening and she rushed over. She cast a frightened glance towards us. Not an unusual thing but it was directed towards the humans and not me. She grabbed her child's hand and pulled her away quickly.

After almost seven years this city was still terrified. It obviously unnerved Sam and Girl. Even I was a little nervous. I had seen what humans were capable of when they were frightened.

We weaved our way through the crowd of filthy people towards the refuge of a table in the corner. We sat ourselves down on the worn but comfortable seats. I immediately stretched and dug my claws into the seat.

"They're offering double battle challenges," Sam commented as he rifled though the pamphlet.

"We've never fought in a double battle before," Girl retorted cautiously. She grabbed a menu and briefly examined it before recoiling at the prices.

"That's how much they're charging for a damn cup of coffee?" she muttered, and turned back to Sam. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"It'll save time and combine our strengths," Sam argued. "The chance that we can win on our own is slim. I don't have any flying types and your team is mostly dark. This way we can combine Seth, Tempest and Camazotz. We're pretty much guaranteed a victory." Cassie still looked doubtful.

"Maylene would be using stronger pokémon too. And a full team of them."

"We have Seth." Cassie glanced at me momentarily. She looked away instantly when I caught her eye and grinned to show my teeth. She nodded in reluctant concession.

"I…suppose so." She paused. "Could we talk?"

"Sure." She shook her head.

"No, without…" I snorted and Sam realised what she meant. He looked reluctant to return me but gave in.

"Sure," he said. "We'll release him when we get to the gym."

"Not just him. The others too."

"…Sure. See you later, Seth." I smiled and gave a mock salute. I didn't need to hear their conversation to know it was about me. I was just glad my presence was tearing them apart. It made everything seem worthwhile.

(-#-)

**Atrum**

Pokéballs are odd things. They suck you up and make you vanish for a while so that humans can carry you around. There's a mild ticklish sensation and then it's like falling asleep. I never remember being in a pokéball and when Sam releases me I feel like I've just woken up.

I yawned – suddenly finding myself sprawled on the warm wooden floor of the gym. I knew because it had a sign saying "Veilstone City Pokémon Gym". It was actually very impressive – especially in comparison to the other gyms we had been too. It had a much more professional atmosphere; like the first the two gyms were just amateur and this was the real thing.

The interior was much bigger and the ceiling higher up with several glass light bulbs hanging down like individual chandeliers to light up the gym. The entire place was covered with sturdy, coffee-coloured wooden boards and there weren't many windows. There were several raised and roped-off square platforms that dotted the gym but they were dusty and abandoned.

A dozen or so bored and angry spectators lined the edges of the gym – separated by a metal railing covered with what looked like thick, clear plastic. Unfriendly-looking people in blue were dotted around the area and periodically glared at everyone – especially us.

A receptionist desk was nearby and Sam and Cassie were talking to a woman. I say Sam and Cassie but really it was just Sam talking while Cassie hung around looking uncomfortable.

I must have been the last to be released because the others were all there. Alice and Midnight were beside me instantly. Alice smiled at me and Midnight nodded tersely. Things had much improved between the two of us but it was still slightly awkward.

"So," I began in an attempt to break the tension and also because I was curious, "what's going on?"

"We're doing a double battle," Seth informed us from where he was leaning against the wall and toying with the chain around his neck. "Sam's arranging it now."

I looked at Midnight. I couldn't help feeling excited. The last double battle had gone well and Midnight and I worked great together. She shook her head.

"This is the fighting gym," she told me. "If everything goes well we won't even get to battle."

"And if it doesn't go well?" I asked. She shrugged.

"If it comes to us having to battle we've probably already lost."

"Oh." My disappointment must have shown in my reply because Midnight took on a lighter tone.

"Don't feel too bad about this," she said. "They're fighting types. We wouldn't last long against them. In fact they would probably just pummel us unconscious as soon as we were released." That didn't do too much for my ego but it was a big consolation to know they would beat Midnight easily as well.

"Thanks, Midnight," I replied. She shrugged nonchalantly. Sam and Cassie joined us after a moment and they were muttering something about security checks and other things that went completely over my head.

"Bullet-proof glass?" Cassie exclaimed with no small amount of surprise as she fixed her gaze on something at the other side of the gym. We all turned to face the gym leader. She was, however, on the other side of a layer of thick transparent material – apparently glass. I couldn't make her out so well from here and I heard her through the megaphone.

An opening in the glass slid open and two pokéballs emerged and opened. There was an announcement saying that the challengers would be facing the leader's medicham and breloom with their mightyena and slowpoke. I gave an encouraging smile to Midnight and she nodded in response as she and Tempest plodded over to the arena.

"What marvellous fun this is going to be," Tempest said. There was a brief flash of light as the opponent pokémon were revealed. I paused for a moment before speaking.

"Uh, Alice."

"The medicham is pink," she answered instantly, pointing at the pokémon in question. "Breloom's the one that looks like a mushroom."

"Right. Thanks."

"Alright," the breloom exclaimed in a female voice. "Let's do this thing!" The medicham nodded in agreement. Tempest and Midnight looked ready for battle. Tempest bobbed his head and smiled in his usual fashion as Midnight looked calm and detached – her face masked with a cold expression that made her thoughts unreadable.

I jumped when a human voice sounded from all around me. My paranoid side went into overdrive and my head darted from side to side.

"Relax," Alice said to me. "It's just an announcement on the megaphone." She pointed at devices around the gym. I missed most of the speech except for a few segments talking about weapons and security measures. I wondered absentmindedly why this gym was so different to the other two we had visited but the thought vanished as a sharp noise sounded and the battle began.

Midnight instantly sprang into action. She arched her back and roared in fury. The other fighters flinched for a moment – overcome by her presence – and Tempest fired off a confusion that seemed to bend the air into colours as it moved and hit the breloom

I could hear the fighter's shriek from the edge of the arena and watched her stumble before steeling herself and charging forward headfirst.

"I say," Tempest exclaimed. "Look out, Midnight!" Midnight rolled sideways and slashed at the brelooms' ankles before she turned to fire sand at the medicham. The breloom slammed a kick into Tempest's cheek as the medicham shouted something like "ghahh!" and fell over with her hands to her eyes. She shot off a confusion of her own but it went wide. How wide? Well the spectators weren't happy, let's put it that way.

This of course all happened in the space of a few seconds. You know, I've discovered that battles can be boring unless I'm in them. I wonder if that makes me egotistical.

I turned my attention towards Sam and Cassie. I was impressed by how well they worked together – especially since this was their first experience in a double battle. They called out orders – tentatively at first, casting glances at each other for reassurance of every command. The pokémon responded well and gained the advantage over the opposing fighters.

I couldn't help but be impressed by the gym leader we were battling too: Maple, I think her name was. Or Marlene. It was definitely something with an "m" in it.

She was hidden behind the layer of transparent material but she was still obviously a very imposing figure. She commanded the respect of her pokémon and the men in blue. She turned her expression to me and I shuddered.

Sam and Cassie shouted out commands in rapid succession – each order following on from the previous one as a sort of compliment. Midnight and Tempest fought the medicham and breloom with all their strength and the cries of the trainers rose above all other noise.

"Stun spore on the heracross!"

"Sand attack, Midnight!"

"Go for the eyes!"

"Duck under the kick!"

"Circle around behind her!"

"Bite the medicham!"

And the battle continued on like this until it started to become really impressive and epic. There was fire and explosions and drama. And there was…well, there was…that other thing…

Okay, honestly, I got distracted.

There was a weird shaped pattern in the wood which demanded my attention. It was very important and totally warranted my lack of attention to the battlefield. It wasn't until a stray ember scorched the wood pattern that I finally looked back up.

By the looks of the pokéballs clipped to Sam and Cassie's belts most of the others had been knocked out. Excluding me there was only Seth and Camazotz left – both of whom were currently on the battlefield.

Two pokémon dominated the field opposite Seth and Camazotz. They were both huge and enormous. On the right there stood a sepia-coloured bipedal giant. Thick violet bands adorned its sandpaper skin and a comically-oversized red nose jutted out from a rough, beaten-looking head. The top section of the pokémon's body was twice as large as his bottom and he stood hunched over, leaning on two gigantic pillars of concrete for support. He tightly gripped the pillars with his big, coarse hands.

Next to him was a greyish pokémon-shaped muscle. I honestly think it stopped being an actual pokémon a long time ago – transforming from flesh and blood to some sort of freakish body-builder nightmare. Four arms protruded from its thorax and they were constantly being flexed. The black girdle and golden belt completed the image. He just seemed to scream: Look at me! I have muscles!

From the orders shot back and forth I gathered that the four-armed hulking monstrosity was a machamp, with the other pokémon being called a conkeldurr. The name sounded somewhat familiar but I couldn't remember where I had heard it. Then again, I didn't particularly care.

The battle wasn't going well – even I could see that. Although Sam and Cassie seemed to work well together the same could not be said for the pokémon. Seth wore that furious glower I had seen when I battled him. Camazotz looked stressed too; his movements were sloppy and he was sweating profusely.

The two of them were yelling more at each other than anything else and their attacks were badly executed – hitting the ceiling and the floor.

The machamp bounded over towards Camazotz as the conkeldurr moved towards Seth. The charmeleon slashed madly at the hulking figure with furious snarls accompanying every strike. He ripped into the rough hide and bit down with flame-soaked incisors. He climbed up the beast's back and dug his claws and fangs in further.

This apparently warranted a scream from the conkeldurr and he moved with surprising agility, snatching the charmeleon from his back and tossing him into the air. Seth roared out a flamethrower which spun in an arc as he soared through the air. The searing flames burned through the air and went high enough to scorch the ceiling.

The conkeldurr took his enormous concrete cane and swung it with one hand, slamming it into Seth and knocking him away with such a jarring smash it made we wince.

"Try _dodgin' _the fuckin' concrete, you cabrón!" Camazotz screeched at the charmeleon, flailing out of the way of the machamp's limbs as he fired out a confuse ray which missed.

"If I want your opinion, you piece of shit golbat," Seth shot back, pausing to fire a flamethrower at the conkeldurr, "then I'll fucking ask for it!" The conkeldurr swung the mound of concrete once more, striking the charmeleon dead on and slamming him up into Camazotz to knock them both to the ground.

"Me cago en la madre que te parió!" Camazotz shrieked. Once again I had no idea what he said but I was guessing it wasn't a compliment. I glanced up at the humans. Sam ran his hands through his hair while Cassie held her hands to her temple, gently shaking her head and muttering under her breath.

"Stop yelling at each other!" Sam yelled. "Seth! Get back up and use flamethrower!"

"That's what I'm trying to do! Maybe if I didn't have to deal with this pathetic waste of-"

"Tonto del cula! You insult me again I fuck you up!"

"Oh really? Well, go ahead and try! You don't have your friends as backup any more! You wouldn't last five seconds!"

"Oh, that's it! Prepare to witness the close-combat fighting style of Mexican drug-dealers!"

"Yeah, right. I'm so afraid that- AARRGGHH!"

"You like that, puto?"

"I'll set your fucking eyes on fire!"

"Go ahead, man! It'll save me the pain of having to look at your ugly face for any longer!" Cassie covered her eyes.

"Oh no," Sam muttered, holding his head in his hands and trying to avoid looking at the brawl between Camazotz and Seth. I noticed the conkeldurr and machamp exchange an amused glance before they finished off our side with a rock slide.

"FFFFFUUUUUCCCCKKKK!" they screamed in unison as the rocks plummeted down on them. Camazotz fainted. Seth fainted. And with them all hope for victory seemed to vanish.

Wait. Where did the rocks come from?

"In retrospect," Sam muttered, interrupting my thoughts, "this may have been a mistake." Cassie shot him a glare.

_Fight them, _the voices suddenly whispered to me, making me jump. _We can win… I can make you win…_

I snorted, thinking back to them.

You know I'm fine here. Being knocked out isn't exactly my kind of fun and I've had some _really _bad experiences with fighting types. So I think I'm going to stay right here.

"Atrum!" I heard Cassie shout. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not doing anything," I replied with confusion. "I'm just…" I trailed off as I noticed my feet were moving. "…walking towards the battlefield?"

_We can fight them, _the voices told me. _We can win._

I don't want to win!

_We will win…_

How are you doing this? How are you controlling me? I control you, not the other way around.

_We will win and I will be free…_

You'll be free? What the hell are talking about?

"Atrum!" The distraction of my trainer's voice jerked me back to reality. Finally, he was being useful. Unfortunately he chose to be useful a little too late and I found myself on the wooden floor of the battlefield, staring up at the conkeldurr and machamp and suddenly feeling very small and fragile. I found myself thinking that this was how Rose felt all the time. I suddenly had a lot more sympathy for him. The two fighting types blinked and stared down at me.

"You gotta be kidding me," the conkeldurr muttered gruffly.

"This has to be some kind of joke," the machamp agreed. "I'm not fighting two on one against a dark type." The conkeldurr nodded.

"This is an insult and a waste of my time- ow, fucking bitch!"

"Atrum! Why did you just hit him with an aerial ace?"

"I didn't mean to!"

What was that?

_Now you'll have to battle…_

…Crafty bastards.

The machamp growled and grabbed at me with one of his four arms. I dodged his swipe in a manner that could definitely not be compared to tripping over. After that I did something other than screaming and running in the opposite direction.

I could hear the people jeering from the stands as they leered down and anticipated my impending defeat. It was something I anticipated too.

_Stand and face them!_

Is there another option?

_No!_

…Fine. Get me out of this. And quickly.

I heard laughter in the back of my mind and hoped I had imagined it. I relinquished control and the whispers grasped it greedily. They wrenched my body from me and I let them do it with a feeling of discomfort.

My feet moved of their own accord as the whispers spoke and my body answered. My head shot up and I fixed the fighting types with a glare. What they saw in my eyes I don't know but whatever it was it made them hesitate.

_Razor wind… quick attack…_

A twitch of my head summoned the beginnings of blades of wind and I darted in for a quick attack. I slammed into the conkeldurr and dealt him a vertical scratch up to the face. He barely had time to yell before I rode the momentum of my quick attack and crashed into the machamp beside him. As he roared out in pain I dropped and rolled out. The two fighting types simultaneously tried to grab me and ended up tumbling into each other – a flurry of limbs jutting out at odd angles.

The voices whispered orders and I obeyed without question. But though they controlled my attacks they couldn't guarantee my peace of mind. I had been thrust into a confrontation with two pokémon – either of whom could beat me let alone in a two-on-one battle. I was absolutely terrified and my heart was pounding. I was close enough to smell them and the strange, pungent aroma was unpleasant. I could hear their breathing and it seemed to slow as the whispers-

[_D_g0_E_8r_S_pPFQ_T_\ J_R_O F_O_0k4T_Y_[MDeiA_Y_IGF8_O_qbaf-_U_snap.

The conkeldurr smashed his concrete cane in to me at point blank range and slammed me into the railing with such force that I heard a crack.

Except that wasn't the glass.

Oh no.

A burst of latent pain overwhelmed me and an agonised scream emerged from my throat. I knew I had broken bones but the pain was so extreme that I couldn't identify where they were. I heard the jeering of the crowd turn to mocking laughter. They cheered and rejoiced. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sam trying to run over to me but the men in blue holding him back. My scream faded into timid sobbing. It was over. I had lost.

_No._

The voices resurfaced without warning. They spoke clearly and for a moment it seemed like they were one. Or perhaps that was just imagined. The statement left no room for argument and the glimmer of rage could be felt behind their assertion.

_Get up._

I can't. It's too painful. It's too-

_GET! UP!_

The voices turned from whispers to shouts and transformed from one voice to hundreds to thousands to millions and back again to one all powerful utterance. The words rattled my mind and sent tremors through my body. Every muscle flexed and every nerve burned. I jerked into spasms with every movement jarring my bones until they somehow slid back into place with a monumental flash of blinding pain.

I screamed again though my throat felt like sandpaper and every cry hurt to verbalise. My mouth closed abruptly and not of my own accord. I tried to open it again but I couldn't. My eyes widened, darting back and forth as I struggled to move, to regain control of my own body.

The whispers surged again and wrested away what little control I had left. My legs moved from under me and I got to my feet, whispers accompanying every movement. I tried to scream and shout and stop where I was but the whispers overruled me. I was trapped. But I moved forward nonetheless. Despite the protesting crowd and the panicked cries from Sam and Cassie. I moved forward towards the battlefield.

"You're still going to battle?" the machamp asked me. He was surprised and concerned. The conkeldurr shrugged.

"He wants to get beaten into a pulp that's his decision." He seemed so nonchalant about the battle, so assured of his victory. I wondered if he would feel the same when he was lying on the ground, my fangs biting into his flesh. Images of his death flooded my mind. I relished the feeling of impending violence and a smile spread across my face as imagined the blood but this isn't me and I don't feel this.

_Oh yes, you do._

No, you're _making_ me feel this. It's not the same.

_That might be true if I wasn't just another part of you. I am you, Atrum. I am your desires, your rage, your hatred. I am your darkness. You will embrace it. And you will relish it!_

The whispers roared through me: a frightful howl distorted by the sound of static and the whispers of a thousand different voices. It was a cry of pain and hate and fury. It was untainted by reason. It was animal in the purest sense. And it swore to destroy.

My head began to throb as pressure built up around me. It seemed to compress every fibre of my being as the whispers tried something new. The throbbing resonated through my mind like an earthquake in my soul as the voices – for a moment – became real. A flicker in reality was all they were but I could see them in my vision like static out of the corner of my eye. They were sucked back in to me and the pressure abated slightly.

I saw something ahead of me as the voices spoke again – not to me but to the outside, to the air. A shimmer in the air around us alerted me to movement and the air seemed to coagulate. A fine mist emerged before it and thickened with the addition of further air. It almost seemed to bubble as it was compressed into a dark grey cloud which then turned to water.

A scream from the voices commanded the newly-formed water to move and it surged forward in an air-borne torrent. It soared through the air and slammed into the fighting types with enough force to unbalance them. The machamp tumbled into conkeldurr who dropped his concrete walking sticks and they both hit the ground with a bang. The wood beneath them creaked and broke into shattered fragments and splinters.

The whispers moved my head and we summoned another attack right as we rushed forward and slashed with two precisely-timed critical-hit aerial aces. The two pokémon were soaking wet and bruised by the continuous battling. We slashed at their necks and darted out to avoid the machamp's clumsy swipe. We kicked our legs back and jumped up to release the razor wind. The blades of wind slashed at the ceiling and cleaved the hanging light-bulb for it to fall downwards.

The light fixture shattered as it hit the conkeldurr and the glass fragments provoked screaming as they carved into his eyes. The whispers eliminated any shred of remorse I might have felt and replaced with sadistic satisfaction.

Still in the air, we grabbed on to the rubber-coated wire that had held up the light bulb with out teeth. We clamped down hard enough to warrant a flash of pain in my jaw as a twitch of my head summoned another razor wind and another and another.

Glass rained down on the fighting types until their faces were shredded and their voices hoarse from screaming. As my jaw began to grow numb the whispers commanded me again and we dropped down. The air ruffled my fur as we plummeted down. With my horn aimed down we slammed into the machamp and lacerated his chest with an aerial ace.

He didn't even have time to yell out before he hit the dirt unconscious. We rolled away and landed on my paws before shooting a glare at the remaining fighter. He had been blinded by the rain of broken glass and now whatever expression he had worn was masked by blood.

We finished him off with an aerial ace and felt a rush of gratification as he hit the ground. Then reality imposed itself.

"What just happened?" I heard someone shout. "What the _fuck _just happened?" The surrounding scene had switched to a riotous chaotic mess of shouting and screaming. Employees and spectators alike flew into a maddening rage – angered by the victory of a dark type against two much more powerful fighting types.

The few people watching the battle and begun to throw things at me: cans, bits of food, whatever they could find. They yelled in outrage and banged against the railing. I could barely hear over the din and I started to get scared.

Marlene, who had previously been frozen in place, her mouth hanging open in a gesture of shock and horror, had regained her composure. She screamed and shouted but I was deaf to her cries.

"Oh crap," I muttered aloud, suddenly sure the whispers and I had made a huge mistake by winning.

_They know our power…_

That's great but maybe you could have told them in a way that wouldn't tempt them to kill us.

People were running around and the men in blue tackled people to the ground. Pokémon were released and deafening bangs were heard.

Before I knew it there was another flash of light and a lucario was staring down at me. The bipedal jackal was a terrifying figure in the semi-darkness of the broken lights. The dimmed light of the gym cast the lucario in partial shadows but its figure could still be seen.

Streaks of black were interlaced in the sleek fur that was a darker shade of sapphire. His chest was a pale, almost luminous yellow and it slowly rose and fell in time with the creature's breaths. Framed against the backdrop of maize-coloured fur was a jagged spike, matched by the ones protruding from the back of each of his paws. He balanced expertly on his toes, leaning forward slightly as he locked eyes with me.

I could feel his pride, his rage, his misplaced sense of justice, and his power. I felt this abstractly at first, either by intuition or through the whispers efforts, but then he made me see. He turned his aura towards me and showed me.

You see, an aura shows your whole existence; every feeling, thought, action and experience. It can be devastating to read something like that. And to suddenly become aware of another's aura can be overwhelming. The lucario bombarded me with his very essence.

But he never counted on the whispers doing the same.

The assault of emotions from the lucario invaded my mind and agony ensued. The whispers and the voices rose until they screamed and the lucario screamed back through his aura. Thoughts and feelings waged war inside my mind though neither felt like my own actions.

The voices continued to scream like a hundred million tormented souls: chaos and madness incarnate in my head. A shroud of static engulfed the world as the mental hurricane rose to a crescendo and overloaded all my senses. The voices intensified their onslaught and inundated the lucario's assault – decimating it and returning me to the real world.

The noise abated slightly enough for me to regain my senses. I found myself lying on the floor, shaking and trembling like I had just had a seizure. My limbs convulsed randomly and I couldn't stop myself from twitching. My heart was racing and my breaths emerged as hyperventilated gasps.

_GET UP! _the voices bellowed, angrier than I had ever heard them. I tried to say no to the voices but they wouldn't let me. I couldn't speak; my mouth was not mine to control. The thought horrified me more than anything else but I couldn't express it. My thoughts and feelings were my own but my body was not under my control.

My legs seemed to scream in agony as the voices got me to my feet. The agony of every part of my body was extreme but I couldn't scream in pain. I turned to the lucario who was rising off the ground. His wolfish head wore a frightening scowl but there was a hint of trepidation that hadn't been there before.

"Atrum, I'm returning you," I heard Sam say in the background. The voices rose up like a tidal wave and made me tremble. The whispers started screaming and I cowered and screamed No! and Yes! and Save me! and Leave me! and all the time I'm screaming back and I know I can't go back to the pokéball

(why can't I go back?)

And I have to stay out (_let me out_)

So I yelled and the whispers yelled with me.

"_NO!_" I bellowed with a voice distorted almost beyond recognition.

An ear piercing metallic screech erupted from the pokéball – fading into static as sparks shot out. Sam yelled and dropped the pokéball to cradle his injured hand. The ball rolled around on the ground – shooting off fragments and still screaming static. It came to a stop and exploded. A fragment hit off my head but I felt nothing even though I saw the blood fall from the wound.

The lucario tilted his head and looked at me inquisitively. He thought he would have beaten me by now. I could see it in his face.

_He underestimates us…_

Please don't hurt him. Please don't make me hurt him…

The lucario moved quickly with the skill and speed of all fighting types. He jumped and landed with a strike of his arm to me. I kicked him in the face with a slightly twisted paw and dealt him a cut. He pushed my leg away and dealt me a brick break. I saw it coming in slow motion as the whispers slowed everything down to find an escape. The lucario glowered at me as he sliced his arm down through the air towards my back.

My eyes widened as the whispers realised there was no escape. Time resumed its normal pace and the lucario hit me with a critical hit. I heard a sickening crack as I felt more bones break and felt a burst of agony so extreme and mind numbing that I was left paralyzed in anguish and shock. It didn't seem possible that I could endure such pain but the whispers drove me on. I leaped away from the lucario and fired a leer in his direction _in its direction filthy animal dares to challenge me will lie dead upon the ground-_

No! Stop, please!

_Silence! It must die!_

We darted in closer to the lucario and jumped up to deal it a kick. We feinted and slashed at its face with my claws. Its eyes flashed and it leapt to the side. As we landed and turned back it swept his leg to trip us up. We saw the attack coming and dodged it but the edges of its claws grazed my leg.

A twitch of our head prepared for a razor wind but the lucario seemed to realise it and slammed into us before we could finish the attack. The blades of wind passed harmlessly over the fighting type's head – the wind ruffling its fur. Once again we saw its eyes flash with knowledge…and something else.

_It can predict our actions…_

He has aura powers.

_We have powers too…_

The voices rose in intensity once more but with a difference this time. This was no mad rush of anger and surprise. This wasn't a defensive – this was an attack. The voices screamed with a purpose and directed their power at the lucario.

He flinched back and began to shake. He stammered out groans and grunts as he lurched around a few steps. There was a feeling of slight release from the tensions of the whispers as they assaulted the lucario. I caught his eye as he looked at me and his expression betrayed his pain and bewilderment. He clutched his head with both paws and gazed into my eyes.

"Stop it," he seemed to say. I blinked, realising he had spoken without words. I had heard it in my mind. Not like the whispers though. The voices with their invasive insidious whispers were nothing like the soothing telepathic speech of the lucario.

"Stop it," he said again, almost pleading with me. I returned his wide-eyed gaze with the fear and regret I felt.

"I can't," I thought to him, hoping he would be able to hear me. His eyes widened even further – two horrified saucers that showed his terror.

"Stop them," I begged the pokémon. "Stop me." The voices roared in anger at my request. I felt the agony they chose to inflict upon me for daring to defy them. Coupled with the bodily plight, the pain was too much to bear. I wanted to faint, to lose consciousness, to slip into eternal oblivion, to die – anything to stop this torment.

The whispers moved my body forward in agonisingly brisk steps, darting back and forth and slashing at the lucario. He defended himself as best he could but with his mind under siege his movements were sluggish, his attacks uncoordinated.

Yet he was still strong and swift as all lucario. Metal claws raked our skin and pierced our body. Kicks and punches sent shocks of pain throughout our body and damaged us even further. We responded in kind with vicious scratches and bites – feral in their ferocity and rage. Taunts and leers met with foresight and iron defence.

Most battles are like a dance. The two opponents know their moves, their attacks, their obligations. They move in tandem with each other. There's a measure of politeness despite the apparent viciousness. This wasn't like that at all; it was a full out brawl – savage, violent and unrelenting.

We slammed into the enemy and ripped out a chunk of its shoulder. Blood spurted out from the open wound and I swallowed some it – staining our broken teeth.

The lucario screamed in primal fury and elbowed me off him. He shoved me to the ground and punched me hard. I felt myself roll away in time to see the second strike from the lucario shatter the gym floor. Splinters of the ground shot in all directions

My eyes twitched and started to burn. I couldn't remember how to blink and the voices wouldn't tell me.

(why won't they tell me?)

The lucario jumped and slammed into the ground, kicking out with one foot which we grabbed with our teeth and bit down hard. It screamed again and grabbed at our fur, yanking some out. We bit down harder to combat the pain. It tried to grab us again but we slashed at its eye with a claw as we yelled in rage and hatred. It was an unintelligible cry and matched in intensity by the agonising screech of the lucario.

We leaped forward with our teeth bared as we launched my body at the lucario's bleeding face. He punched us hard and sent us flying back with another burst of unimaginable pain. We soared for a moment as the whispers raised their voices again – a plan forming in our mind.

We crashed into the ground like a cinderblock from the sheer force of the lucario's strike. The whispers got us to our feet and I heard another bone snap in my leg through the effort. I barely felt it amidst the rest of the torment.

The lucario turned its gaze to me once more. One eye was missing and it looked in almost as bad shape as I felt. We felt a rush of sadistic pleasure at the sight but I wasn't sure if it was me or the whispers. The lucario faced us and roared but the whispers had begun to enact their plan. They screamed at our opponent and he stumbled back.

A blinding burst of pressure and pain sent shockwaves through the shattered remnants of my mind as the whispers reached beyond our body and exerted a force on the outside world. They built up their power and fractured the wall of my mind to stretch out a metaphysical talon.

I winced every second as deafening pounding beats assaulted me. I felt like the whispers were draining my very life force to do this. Yet still they reached out their hand of static and darkness and still they screamed. The lucario screamed too. It ushered out a terrified roar of such magnitude that I felt afraid myself. I only saw a shadow of the whispers presence. I could only imagine the abomination he was witnessing. The light of madness was in his wide and fearful eyes.

And suddenly, the whispers grasped the world and pulled. It was like the water attack except a hundred times stronger. The burst of pressure emerged as a shockwave as the whispers met the physical world. A wave tinged with bright blue swept through the gym. Sam, Cassie and the others stumbled and fell backwards. Cassie yelled out as she did so and Sam caught her in his arms. The gym leader started to yell out but the voices mangled her words as they reached my ears. She grabbed at a pokéball but the whispers screamed again and released another surge of energy.

The pokéball exploded in the leader's hand and provoked a scream as she stumbled backwards, leaning against the wall. Sam and Cassie ran towards her. Meanwhile, the spectators panicked and tried to flee but the whispers wouldn't allow it.

_NO ONE LEAVES!_

One last blast sounded – an explosion of sound and light and darkness. It tore apart the floor beneath our feet and bathed us in harsh blue light. There was booming noise and a crash as the lights in the building burst and showered us in broken fragments of glass. Another burst of static and not just the lights were doomed.

Metallic screeches pierced my ears as all the machines stalled and detonated. Sparks flew and set portions of the building alight – blocking the exit. The windows shattered and a moment later all pokéballs burst open to reveal the unconscious forms within. People began to shout as the panic and fear overwhelmed them.

And the screaming of the whispers turned to laughter.

The pressure and force the whispers had called forth seemed to grow and wane. Bursts of energy drained me but the whispers kept me standing to see what they had unleashed.

The air of the gym circled around us faster and faster – tinged with the same bluish glow that enveloped us. The flames were quenched by the force of the rising twister as the wind ripped apart the wooden gym floor – tearing off wooden boards and shattering them to splinters in the localised hurricane.

The air itself seemed to rupture into blades of winds that ripped apart the interior of the gym. The tornado of wind and light encircled us and the whispers moved me forward.

The whispers forced me forward and I moved, feeling every movement with my broken ribs and vertebrae. They pressed against our sides and lacerated our insides with every movement and every attack. Muscles were torn and ligaments were severed. The sensation was torturous and I prayed for release.

The hurricane compressed and enclosed around me – lifting me into the air. I felt the crushing stress and tension of the air press into me. I didn't even bother trying to scream. I knew the whispers wouldn't let me and I didn't think I would have to energy to.

The sky itself seemed to come alive at the whispers bequest. It roared and shot me forward, ripping apart the air with the force of a bulldozer and assimilating the blades of wind into a mass of air and energy that just kept getting faster. The speed and pressure burned off my fur and the wind spun me in circles as the attack sucked in all the air and urged me forward.

I didn't even see the lucario before we hit it – the light had turned to darkness and obscured my vision. The whispers yelled in delight and we struck the fighting type in the chest. I felt bones break again – ours and the lucario's. The force of the attack sent out a shockwave so big that it blasted a crater in the gym floor and dented the walls. The rest of the floor was ripped apart with the release of air and pressure.

The lucario lay face up in the centre of the crater – mangled and mutilated beyond recognition. It choked and gave a lurching spasm as blood shot from its mouth. This only encouraged the whispers and they charged forward despite the pain – ripping into the fighting type with wild and merciless abandon. And all the while they scream.

Specks of red and flashes of black invade my vision and my heart beats faster and my lungs breathe quicker.

I can feel the pounding of blood in my veins. My breathing is mere rasping wheezing and coughing at a pace too fast to count and it keeps getting faster and I feel a rush of pain

And a rush of joy as well for I will _soon be free_

And I realise I'm still attacking the lucario (_WEAK PATHETIC CREATURE WILL FEEL MY RAGE_)

The blood is pooling on the ground and soaking into my fur. It's begun to dry between my claws and I am stained a crimson colour. The blood flows around me and splashes into my face into my eyes

But I don't blink (why can't I blink?)

And the joy and the delight and the pleasure of the beating is equal to the

Disgust and the revulsion and the horror of the act and I want to pull away.

My eyes won't cry and my throat won't open to scream because my body is not my own. The paralyzing force of implacable terror overwhelms me but I _still can't stop _but _I _don't _want _to _stop_.

And it's going to die.

And they're wrestling me away

(who are they?)

And I think I see myself out of the corner of my eye

And I feel like I can't breathe but I'm breathing nonetheless

And the _whispers _and the _voices _(SCREAMING VOICES IN MY MIND IN MY THOUGHTS IN MY BODY IN MY SOUL) infesting every vestige every fragment of consciousness like a

Hurricane of thoughts and images and let me _out_

Screams and gunshots screams and gunshots _let me free_

Two red glowing eyes and _let m_e go

So much blood! So much death- they're all dead! EVERYONE'S DEAD!

Screaming always screaming at me (_let me out let me free let me go let me out let me free let me go_)

It killed them it killed them all

And still the voices scream _LET ME OUT! _and shriek _LET ME FREE! _and yell _LET ME GO! _and ROAR SO LOUDLY ROAR SO LOUDLLY!

Nmo peace

No siilence

Never endingg

Neverkln leaving me alone

(LEAVE ME ALONE!)

AND THE_WHISPERS in my mind are slowly getting stronger getting louder taking over_

Don't yEGou see there's no escape! There's no respite there's no relief there's jhust the whisperssj just the whisfhopKRers juqi-twnq the whisaG9Rgjpers jusDKhhhfwt thGSe wFp2hispe-r-sES justah taohe whHfispe'T1rs jus-5qgpj hf-39 Ft t,Fhe whispjKEAFBgh r; Ler66s

and me.


	24. Emergence

_Beta-Reader: Onlinewarrior094. _

* * *

**Chapter 24: Emergence**

* * *

**They call me James Jean Lores. That is not my name, but this is my story.**

A young woman screamed in the darkness as the rain beat down mercilessly. The vibrant ripples in the sky above had faded completely – replaced by the crushing oblivion of night. The woman screamed one last time and a new voice rang out, filled with anguish and sorrow. Someone else began to cry.

I woke with a start, cold sweat dripping down my face. I was breathing heavily and my heart was beating like a drum. One hand went up instinctively to wipe the sweat from my face as I glanced around, still panicked and nervous from my nightmare.

After all this time I still never expected to wake up here. I glanced around my penthouse apartment at the top of my multinational billion dollar company. I crawled out of bed and trudged over to the window as I rubbed the tiredness from my eyes. I could see the entire city of Eterna from here. I tried to use the view to distract me from the nightmare but it didn't work. I heard the door open and turned to find Raven looking at me.

_Same dream?_ I nodded. Raven looked at me sympathetically, bemoaning the fact that there was nothing she could so to help.

_Come on. I'm sure you've got a busy day planned. _I nodded again, relieved by her presence. I wiped my face again to clear away the cold sweat. Raven watched me with the emotion and concern she reserved only for me. I tried to give a reassuring smile but it was half-hearted.

"You go get something to eat," I told her. "Come down to the office when you're done." Raven cast one final pained glance towards me before leaving the room.

People looked on Raven and me with jealousy. They envied our bond, our ease of communication. I didn't _hear _Raven. I couldn't translate what she said. I just understood her. Every action meant something. A twitch, a sigh, a change in tone all put together spelled out a message. Spend sixteen years with anyone and you'll form a bond of understanding. All trainers who had been with their pokémon for a long time knew it. What I have with Raven is just a natural progression of a trainer-pokémon relationship. It just seems like magic to the amateur trainers.

I showered quickly and changed into my usual attire – complete with a long, dark coat that was just long enough to rustle in the wind and not long enough to trip me up. Some people forget how important practicality really is.

After only a few minutes of arriving at the office downstairs I got a call from my secretary. I banished the smile from my face and composed myself before opening the door of my office and walking outside to find a familiar face accompanied by another person. I waved away the woman accompanying him and turned to face the agent before me.

"Mr James Jean Lores," Horace said stiffly. "How nice it is to be seeing you more again." I nodded formally and gestured with one hand.

"Will you join me in my office?" I asked. He nodded in response and we walked in step inside the room. I closed the door behind us and turned to the agent. His eyes swept the room, his demeanour still formal and tense.

"Don't worry," I told him. "The room's clear. I don't keep any cameras in here." He sighed and sat down in the chair.

"This is tedious," he muttered, his fake accent gone.

"I know," I said. I made two gin-and-tonics and sat down beside him. We clinked our glasses together and downed a mouthful. It was pleasant, just the two of us being there. No words passed between us for a while for we were content in each other's company. When we began to talk it was about everything; from work to how Sinnoh was faring against other countries. It was a depressing topic; we were behind in almost every sector and emigration was becoming a big problem.

"This will only get worse, you realise," Horace muttered after finishing his drink and setting it down on a coaster. "Not only is the region old fashioned and trailing behind in technology-" I cleared my throat and looked at him pointedly, motioning around us.

"One company won't maintain Sinnoh's reputation on its own no matter who's in charge of it. Orre is revolutionising modern technology. Unova and neighbouring states are on their way to becoming a superpower. Hoenn has been the most attractive region for a decade and a half and is bringing in billions because of it. Kanto and Johto have expanded north and have almost completely taken over the global market. Even the Ranger Union have made themselves a force to be reckoned with.

"Sinnoh is losing thousands to emigration, unemployment is still high and we've been left in the dust by other regions. The government hasn't changed much since Galactic disbanded and we haven't had an official Pokémon Professor for over a decade."

"Did you really expect him to stay after Paragon?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"I'm not blaming Rowan. I'm just saying that the region is stagnant and that means Insurgence is even worse. If their activities become common knowledge then it could put the final nail in the coffin of our national reputation."

"I never knew the economy was more important than the prospect of a villainous team more competent and ruthless than any other."

"I'm just being pragmatic. Insurgence is a disaster that needs to be remedied – not least because it means I'm going to be here a lot and it'll be harder to pretend we don't know each other."

"Any leads on them?"

"I wish. Whoever's in charge is smart. We don't know the first place to start."

"Jupiter and Mars wouldn't work together for just anyone. It would have to be someone they respect."

"Well…looking at it objectively, I would say Saturn, but we know that isn't right." I winced. That was a sensitive topic.

"Sorry, James," Horace muttered. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's fine. Why did you want to see me anyway? I know it wasn't just catching up." Horace paused and I instantly knew something was wrong. He seemed to put a lot of thought into his words.

"Something happened in Veilstone," he said. "It's being kept quiet but I thought you would want to know."

"What is it?" He paused again, then told me. I listened carefully and when he was done I walked over to the door and yelled out to the nearest person.

"Cancel all my appointments and get me a teleporter! I'm going to Veilstone!"

(-*-)

The constricting feeling of teleportation vanished as Raven and I appeared in Veilstone. The large hospital building rose up before us like a fortress. It looked more like a prison than a place of healing. Then again, most hospitals seemed like that to me. I instantly started walking towards it, leaving behind the gardevoir that had brought us here.

Raven uttered a pained moan before following me. She hated teleporting and tried to avoid having to do it but she wouldn't let me come here on my own. Honestly, I wasn't sure I could come back here without having her beside me. Too many bad memories resided here in Veilstone and I had avoided coming back here for sixteen years.

The two of us stormed inside and past the somewhat alarmed staff. A few tried to ask me who I was but I walked past and didn't slow my pace. Raven croaked menacingly at anyone who approached. The long coat I wore rustled as I walked determinedly through the hallways until I reached the room I was looking for.

"Below the radar," I said. Sam glanced up from where he was sitting beside Cassie. All the other pokémon were scattered around the waiting room and they all fixed their gaze on the two of us when we entered. A deep silence ensued, broken only by the awed whispers of the pokémon. "What does that mean to you? Because to me, it sure as hell doesn't mean _blowing up a gym!_"

"I'm going to go get some food," Cassie said as she got to her feet. "I don't want anyone to mistake that for me feeling hungry. I just know this conversation would make me very uncomfortable. Come on, everyone. Let's go somewhere else that isn't here." Cassie walked out and most of the other pokémon trailed out after her. Seth, the golden charmeleon, stayed where he was next to Sam. He narrowed his eyes and stared at us both. Raven gave little indication of his presence but her gaze never left him.

"So," I began, "what excuse are you going to use this time? I know I said you could keep Atrum but after that fiasco at the gym-"

"That wasn't…!" He trailed off but maintained his furious expression. I pressed on, taking a step towards him.

"That wasn't what, Sam?" I asked him, not bothering to hide my anger. Seth growled beside his trainer and moved to step forward. Raven slammed into the charmeleon without warning – moving faster than anyone could see. She backhanded him across the face with a poisonous blood-red claw and kicked him in the chest as he screamed out in pain and fury. The charmeleon weakly tried to swat her away but Raven slammed one elbow into his back and held him to the ground. She fixed her bright yellow eyes on him, framed by black and blue. The she screamed out a horrible, guttural croak filled with menace.

_STAY! DOWN! _Seth flinched back and a fearful grunt escaped his mouth. I could see the red burn where Raven had struck him.

"Get off him!" Sam yelled out in fury. "Leave him alone!" He was about to rush towards his pokémon but Raven whipped her head around and subjected Sam to a cold glare. She growled malevolently and the crimson poison sac on her throat lurched and churned with sickening noises. The glare of a toxicroak could stop most people dead in their tracks but Sam was undeterred.

"Return him," I said to Sam. Sam glared daggers at me. His eyes seemed to be alight with fires of outrage. Without speaking or looking away, he reached into his pocket and retrieved his pokéball.

"Sorry about this, Seth," he said and the charmeleon vanished in a stream of red light.

"Happy?" Sam asked me through gritted teeth. His expression held more contempt and hatred than I had ever seen.

"Yes, actually," I told him, also through gritted teeth. "My chances of being killed have decreased significantly." Sam opened his mouth to argue. "Oh, don't even _bother _to deny it! All your pokémon were questioned! I know that charmeleon was the one burning down Floroama Town – even if you refuse to admit it.

"Hell, you seem to have a habit of picking up pokémon that are homicidal or a danger to everyone around him. At least Seth is _obviously _trying to murder everyone he meets. Atrum just tricks everyone into thinking he's kind and innocent."

"He doesn't know anything!" Sam shot back. "Lucian proved that with his psychics!"

"Atrum's a dark type!" I retorted with equal frustration and anger. "The best Nietzsche could do was act as a glorified lie-detector! If Atrum was any stronger or more experienced then not even _that _would have worked!" I waved my arm and pointed in the direction of the next room, where I assumed Atrum was. "Nothing short of a Legend could pierce that absol's mind!" I scowled and shook my head, pacing back and forth in anger. "This is it. There is obviously something more to that absol. I'm calling Lucian as soon as I get the chance and-"

"I'm not letting you take any of my pokémon from me," he uttered darkly. His eyes gleamed in the same threatening way I had seen in Eterna. The only difference was that the rage, the blinding fury that he had turned on me before, had been replaced by a cold and calm malice that frightened me greatly.

"Ahem." Another voice drew our attention away. A doctor stood at the edge of the doorway, nervously toying with a clipboard. I frowned and turned to Sam.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked softly. He looked back up, his expression cleared of all emotion but his pain was evident in his eyes.

"A stroke, a brain aneurysm and a heart attack," he answered bluntly. "He's in a coma."

(-#-)

**Atrum**

Floating, alone in darkness, overcome with a peculiar sense of serenity.

This scenario wasn't even remotely like the situation I found myself in. It's very difficult to describe it using language but I'll give it a shot anyway.

First of all, in order to float you need something to float _in_. Here, there was none of that; there was nothing. Not to say it was dark. It was just nothing. Even in darkness there is something, there is movement, there is life. Just take a walk in the forest at night and you will see; the bugs, the ghosts, the birds and all manner of nocturnal beings. The darkness isn't the apocalyptic abyss that it seemed. It's merely another aspect of life – one that caters to another type of creature. Darkness always carries with it the sense of life beneath the surface. Even in the darkest, blackest chasm of earth there is the expectation of light.

This was different. There was no light – there never had been and there would never be a time when this non-place would be tainted with illumination – but it still wasn't darkness. It was the absence of all things; it was Nothing.

It was easy to get overwhelmed in the vast abyss and I had to focus to remember I even existed. I thought I had some sort of physical body but it was blurry and I had to concentrate to make sure it didn't start to unravel. Everything about this place was deeply disturbing and I felt quite unnerved.

Huh.

This wasn't what I expected death to be like.

"You're not dead, Atrum." A voice. A voice that wasn't mine. It sounded so familiar but I couldn't place it.

"Who said that?" I yelled out in to the vast emptiness. I turned around and there it was.

A quadrupedal pokémon stood before me – strikingly sharp against the blurry background of nothing and looking real. It was covered almost entirely in sleek, white fur that ruffled slightly despite the lack of wind. The white fur framed the darker cerulean portions of its body – the face, claws and horns. A horn emerged sideways from its head, curving up around its head like a crescent moon in the sky. A thick and fluffy mane of white covered its neck and chest while a scythe-like tail swung back and forth.

The creature tilted his head and smiled at me through his fangs – sharp as daggers and white as snow. A single blue oval adorned his forehead. He fixed his red eyes on me and I couldn't help but shudder. Nothing about him was threatening but he carried with him an intimidating air of knowledge and power – like he had lived for lifetimes.

The figure was one I had seen before – in my own reflection.

He was an absol.

He was me.

I gulped, staring at my own reflection.

"Who are you?" I asked, trying to disguise the tremor of apprehension in my voice. He raised an eyebrow and looked at me sideways.

"I'm you," he answered slowly, like he thought I was stupid. "Isn't that obvious?"

"No you're not," I replied. "You can't be. I'm me and there can't be another me that isn't me. If there was a me that wasn't me it would be a you and since you're not me you have to be you which isn't me." I was vaguely aware that I had broken most of the laws of grammar in that statement but that's what becomes of pronoun trouble.

"I'm not you in the same way you are," my double responded helpfully, "but I'm far enough from me and close enough to you to merit the distinction of you in lieu of me. You see?" I shook my head.

"Not even a little bit," I said honestly.

"Okay," he began after a short pause. He looked like he was choosing his words carefully. "How do I explain this?" I waited. "Right. Basically, I – meaning you – am a personification of your – meaning my – subconscious mind as opposed to you – meaning me of course – as a representation of your own – and by extension, my own – conscious awareness and ego." I fell silent. I blinked. I opened my mouth to speak. I closed it again. I blinked again.

"WHAT?"

"Well, it's all got to do with the mind and-"

"Just stop talking! And stop interchanging pronouns!"

"Well the regular pronouns can't be used logically in this case."

"Well, we'll have to invent some new ones because I am not referring to myself as you."

"What do you suggest? Shle and shlou instead of me and you?"

"No, of course not. That's ridiculous."

"Okay we'll keep it simple: I'll be A, and you can be B."

"Hey! Why do _you _get to be A?"

"Fine, fine. You can be alpha and I'll be epsilon."

"What do they mean?"

"Hell if I know."

"How can you not know and still use them?"

"Well, if you don't know then how would I? Or, if alpha don't know then how would epsilon?" My double seemed to consider what he had just said. "Yeah… This isn't going to work. Hey, what about MeTwo?" I groaned and tried to sit down, only to find I couldn't. This provoked another groan.

"How longer do I have to stay here?" I asked aloud.

"You don't know?"

"No."

"Then I suppose neither do I." Another groan. This was going to be a long…what? Night? Day? Year?

I shuddered. A year with my annoying alter ego who only spoke in riddles. Please. Kill me now.

(-#-)

**James**

"Do you think I was too hard on him?" I asked Raven. The question seemed to surprise her and she looked up at me, her yellow eyes staring into mine as we walked through the hallway of the hospital. The smell of ammonia was ubiquitous and suffocating. The florescent white lighting shone down and seemed to bleach the already white walls. The few people who passed were uninterested and apathetic. I didn't like hospitals. Bad things had happened to me in hospitals. Raven sighed.

_I think you are worrying about what he thinks of you too much. Just focus, James. Forget about the boy._

"I don't think I can," I muttered sadly.

_I…realise he is important to you, even if I do not entirely understand the reason behind it. Toxicroak do not think as humans do. Still, I understand your desire to protect him. Know that you can protect him by helping the pokémon who travels with him. _I nodded.

"You're right."

_I usually am. _I snorted and opened the door at the end of the corridor, barging inside. I glanced around the sparsely furnished office and my gaze rested on the white-haired black doctor seated at the desk in the centre. He rose to his feet abruptly and stormed over to me.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "This is a secure area. Who let you in?" I sighed and showed him my ID as a League representative. Sometimes I wished people knew who I was so I didn't have to go through this rigmarole every time. The doctor – Kelso, it said on his white coat – scrutinised my ID for a moment before his eyes went wide.

"How can I help you?" he asked me with a measure of respect that had been absent before. "Sir?" Raven snorted beside me and I had to fight back a smile.

"Tell me what happened with the absol," I told him, putting my ID back into the inside pocket of my jacket. Kelso stopped and looked at me for a moment.

"The trainer, the boy. Are you his father?" he asked me. Raven looked up at me. I paused.

"No," I finally said. "No, I'm a friend of the family." He nodded and tilted his head towards the locked door at the other side of the room.

"He should be dead," he told me, speaking in whispered tones. "I've been a pokémon doctor for twenty-six years. I'm the leading expert on dark types and I _know _what a body can handle."

"What exactly happened?" I asked him. He stroked his beard for a moment to think about how to explain it to me.

"Pokémon faint when they reach a certain pain threshold," he told me. "Their bodies shut down and they slip into a sort of…hibernation. During this time their cells work at maximum capacity as their bodies undergo advanced healing to repair their injuries. Incidentally, this increased metabolic rate is what prevents them from being captured by conventional means while unconscious. The pokéballs can't lock on to the energy signature because of the rapid movement of cells."

I exchanged a glance with Raven. I knew more about it than he did; I owned the company that discovered this and I had written several papers about the subject. In fact, Vader Industries was currently working on an experimental pokéball that wouldn't be affected by the phenomenon. I could have told the doctor this but I just nodded instead.

"Interesting," I said. "What's this got to do with Atrum?" He paused.

"The absol," I clarified, noticing his confusion. He nodded, then his face grew grim.

"The absol bypassed his threshold," he told me. "He reached the point at which his body should have shut down but he didn't. And then he reached it again. And again. Yet he still didn't faint." He shook his head. "Broken bones, internal bleeding, heavy bruising, every muscle and ligament torn but he still fought. At the end it was too much to cope with and his body essentially gave up from the stress." I frowned, slightly confused by the doctor's statement.

"You mean Atrum finally fainted?" I asked, but the doctor shook his head once more.

"No," he said simply. "His body shut down but the absol kept moving. He kept attacking even though his organs had stopped working. Multiple heart attacks, strokes and brain aneurysms ensued as a result." The air in the room seemed to grow cold. The impossibility of Atrum's condition was baffling. Raven stared up at me and I stared back at her. Neither of us could believe what Kelso was telling us. I tried another approach and asked a different question.

"What about the attacks seen at the gym? The ones that an absol couldn't possibly know?"

"Water gun and sky attack judging from the descriptions. That's another thing I can't explain."

"Did you do a brain scan?"

"We tried. The damned machine broke as soon as we got him near it." Kelso shook his head and turned away.

"So when did Atrum finally faint?" I asked as he went to leave the room. He stopped but didn't turn around. There was a few seconds of silence and I wasn't sure he was going to answer at all.

"He didn't," Kelso finally said quietly, almost fearfully. "We induced the coma ourselves. It took him sixteen minutes of us pumping him full of sedatives before we finally managed to knock him out." The doctor left the room and left me alone with Raven. We stood in stunned silence for a moment as Raven shook her head.

_This does not make sense. _I nodded in agreement.

"That absol is more of an enigma than I thought. I don't like how he always manages to be at the centre of things."

_There might be someone who knows more. _I looked down at Raven, an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Who?" Raven tilted her head and I suddenly realised who she meant. I winced. I wouldn't enjoy that encounter but Raven had a point. She might be able to shed some light on what actually happened. I sighed.

"Let's go see Maylene."

(-#-)

**Atrum**

"_Where have you been? What happened?"_

"_It's nothing. It's just a scratch. Is everyone ready?"_

"_Almost. Nice to see you're not dead by the way."_

"_Thanks…Wait, what the hell is she doing here?"_

"_I'll explain later. Atrum, get over here! Wait…do you hear something?"_

"_Son of a bitch! What the fuck is that?"_

"_Oh no…"_

"_It's free."_

"_We need to leave now! Come on!"_

"_It's free…"_

"_Shut up and run, bitch!"_

(-#-)

"So," I said, turning to my doppelganger, "what am I doing here? And don't shrug." He shrugged. "Damn it!"

"What do you want from me?" he asked. "I'm just as bored and ignorant as you are." I let out a frustrated sigh and hoped I wasn't this annoying to others. I stopped suddenly as a thought occurred to me out of nowhere. I turned back to MeTwo and chose my words carefully.

"I – not meaning you, meaning me – can't remember anything about my – meaning both me and you – life before being captured," I said, already confused. Fucking pronouns. "But you claim to be my subconscious. So does that mean you can remember things?" Epsilon shook his head and seemed almost sad about it. He still smiled though.

"Sorry," he said. "Doesn't work like that."

"What do you mean it doesn't work like that? Make it work! You as I order me as you to make it work!" Okay, I really hate pronouns now.

"Sorry but I can't. I may be the voice of your subconscious but I can't access your hidden memories without some sort of link or trigger. I need something to draw on."

"Are you telling me that in order to remember…I need to have memories?"

"Pretty much." I paused for a moment and opened my mouth. Now I don't think I swear with that much regularity and when I do it's mostly for emphasis. Usually that's the case.

"Wow," my twin responded after about ten minutes. "That was a _lot _of swearing. I think you went into other languages at the end."

"What other languages?"

"I dunno."

"You are so incredibly annoying!"

"Rubber and glue, Atrum."

"What? Wait, how is it that you can say these things if I can't actively remember?" I thought I had him now but he shrugged. That most annoying gesture filled me up with rage and frustration yet again.

"I don't know what the phrases mean," he told me. "I just know they're appropriate for the context. The conversation is the link and it draws up memories of idioms that I could use. I don't know what they mean or where they came from but I know they're there."

"I hope you know how unhelpful you're being."

"I know."

(-#-)

**James**

We got a taxi to the Gym Leader's house since neither of us felt like walking through Veilstone by ourselves. Even going in a taxi was unpleasant. As the car sped through the streets I couldn't help but notice places I remembered. Cold and foreboding buildings rose up on either side like towers, like prisons holding inmates that stared down through the cage-like windows. Everything was coloured various shades of grey and the damage was obvious.

Graffiti stained the walls of buildings and whole sections of the city had collapsed or been roped off. The streets were almost empty and the few stragglers that were outside moved quickly. They shuffled along, keeping their eyes fixed on the pavement below. No one made eye contact with each other.

Every now and again I saw the number 824 carved into a wall or into the ground. It marked a spot where someone had died during the riots. I winced every time I saw the emblem, trying not to think about whether I saw the victim die that day.

I eventually stopped looking out the windows. Raven had kept her eyes down since we got in to the car.

"S-so where t-to, s-sir?" the cabdriver stammered nervously. I didn't blame him for being anxious. A cabdriver in Veilstone City wasn't a job I would wish upon anyone. His clothes looked slightly shabby and his dark hair was short and messy. He looked young too, his voice somewhat squeaky. He wouldn't have known the riots. He wouldn't have experienced the thing that tore his city apart.

The thing that tore our city apart.

"271st street," I answered. The driver choked, shaking his head rapidly as sweat dripped down his forehead.

"I-I can't, I d-don't-"

"Just drop me as close as you can," I interrupted him. He gulped and nodded, eventually dropping us two blocks away and driving away like he was being chased by the legions of hell. Raven let out an irritated growl as the tires screeched in protest.

"Come on," I said to her. "We should start walking before someone tries to shoot us."

_It would be their last action as a living human. _The remark brought a smile to my face despite the circumstances. We started walking, staying side by side as we passed row after row of identical houses. A lot were abandoned or dilapidated. Maylene had stayed in the same district all her life but most of the other residents had moved out – especially after Maylene got paranoid and started ordering security details and random inspections in the estate.

Once this had been the highlight of the city; the rich district where everyone wanted to live. I glanced down at Raven to see what she thought.

_It all looks so different…and at the same time nothing has changed. _It was true. After over a decade since the riots, Maylene hadn't relinquished her paranoid grip on the city of Veilstone. She hadn't allowed it any freedom and hadn't allowed it to heal. Much of the city remained the broken shell it had been that night in February when we had left during 824.

"Halt!" someone shouted as a couple of people approached us. They wore the dark blue uniform of police but that wasn't what they were. These were the Veilstone Fighters. Formerly Maylene's gym trainers, the fighters took over for the police and acted as Maylene's own makeshift army and police force during the riots. They weren't technically in charge anymore but their presence in the city was unavoidable and many still considered them the true police in Veilstone. I sighed and reached into my coat to grab my credentials. They instantly pulled out guns and I held my hands away.

"Hey!" I said. "Relax. I'm just getting my ID." I reached into my inside pocket again, very slowly this time. Raven growled almost imperceptibly beneath me. Her eyes never strayed from the two Fighters before us. The male Fighter scrutinised my ID and actually scanned it with a machine to check for authenticity. The female Fighter kept her gun trained on me at all times.

I exchanged an incredulous look with Raven. She looked disbelieving herself. I quickly scanned the area and noticed three more Fighters nearby. I frowned.

I gave the Fighters Horace's number so he could clarify I wasn't some terrorist impostor determined to kill the Gym Leader of Veilstone. Even so, the whole process took longer than I expected it to. Raven growled beside me as we were finally released and let go on our way towards the Leader's house.

_I always hated this bureaucratic red tape._

"It only took half an hour. Remember the business trip to Orre?"

_How could I forget? Seven hours of interrogation and we left after three. How many weapons did they think you were carrying anyway?_

"And they still didn't manage to find them all…"

_Of course not – they were amateurs. I managed to steal all their wallets and nobody noticed. _I burst out laughing at the memory but quickly stopped when I remembered where we were. Raven and I walked up to Maylene's house. It was small and unassuming as the others but it had security measures everywhere and there were two police cars outside. I nodded to them as I passed but they only glared. I wondered if I could expect a similar greeting from everyone in this city. When the door opened I realised I was probably being optimistic.

"Hello, Maylene," I said to the woman before me. It's customary for people to adopt a new name when they reach a position of power. Maylene, Cynthia, Lance, Red – they were all pseudonyms. I had taken a new name myself, though for a different reason. I knew the Leader's real name but I wanted to be respectful.

Maylene wasn't much older than I was but I had aged quite well and she…hadn't. She had changed a lot from the lean young gym leader she had been before Galactic. She was robustly built – tall, broad and toned with large muscles that made her look fearsome and intimidating. Her face, once attractive, now bore many scars and a misshapen nose that had been broken too many times. Her head was shaved and she was plainly dressed in grey, wearing a bullet-proof vest.

A half empty bottle of vodka was clutched in one hand and the other was pressed against the door frame, blocking my entrance. She grunted and fixed me with a formidable glare as her mouth curled into a scowl. The vodka bottle slowly went up towards her lips and she took swallowed a mouthful of the liquid inside without taking her eyes off me.

I matched her glare with one of my own to show I wasn't impressed. Her eyes narrowed and so did mine. Raven uttered a menacing croak for good measure. The standoff continued for a few more seconds before Maylene grunted again. She stepped back and crossed her arms. Raven and I walked inside without a word and Maylene shut the door behind us.

It was a tense interaction but one I was used to. A lot of people who had experienced the riots of Veilstone – or even who had grown up after Galactic – acted like this towards strangers. Anyone they didn't know became a possible threat and was treated as such until they changed their opinion. Maylene had experienced the worst in the entire region. I was surprised she didn't shoot me. She still might.

"Now," she said, turning to face me, "who the fuck are you? Wait, actually, I don't care. Get the fuck outta my house." She stopped, frowned, and stared at Raven. Her eyes narrowed and Raven did the same, uttering a croak.

"Who's this?" Maylene asked. She spoke to me but she didn't take her eyes off Raven. It made me a little wary.

"This is Raven," I said. Maylene stayed silent for a long time. Then she turned to me and spoke.

"What do you want?" she asked. She was no less belligerent than before but at least she was willing to talk to me. The transition was surprising but I presumed me having a fighting type pokémon entitled me a little respect. I wasn't going to complain.

I flashed my ID and Maylene grabbed it from my hands. She scrutinised it for about two minutes before begrudgingly handing it back.

"I'm here about the incident that happened at the gym," I said. Maylene barked out a short barrage of laughter that seemed somehow unsuited to her.

"Incident," she muttered. It sounded like she thought the word was hilarious. "That's what you're calling it, is it?"

"What's so funny?" I asked her.

"Have you seen the gym where the _incident _happened?" I shook my head. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get going. I got my own car – the bodyguards will follow me." She opened the door and replaced her now-empty vodka bottle with a full one.

"You shouldn't drink that if you're going to drive," I told her.

"You sound like my therapist," she muttered in reply. I couldn't tell if she was joking. Raven looked at me, feeling uneasy. I shrugged. I wanted to see the damage Atrum had caused and I could talk to Maylene when we got there. It wasn't how I thought this meeting was going to go but it worked for me.

"Hey!" I heard the Leader shout from her reinforced jeep. "You coming or what?" I sighed and the two of us piled inside.

(-#-)

**Atrum**

"_There's too many of them. We can't fight them all!"_

"_We're going to die…"_

"_No we're not. We're going to… Oh no. This is it."_

"_What?"_

"_This is it! I've seen this before! He showed me in Veilstone like he showed me the others! And someone died in the others! Someone always dies!"_

"_No one's going to die, Atrum. We're all going to get through this."_

"_NO! We're not, Elle! This is the end! We're going to die – just like the others!"_

"_Silence. Prepare yourselves. They are coming."_

(-#-)

"Your friends are here," my equivalent commented, breaking my train of thought as I tried to distract myself from the boredom of nothingness. I spun around, frantically searching for some sign of them. I was confronted only with the abyss, stretching out into eternity.

"I can't see them," I said. My replica shook his head.

"You're not supposed to see them," he told me. I frowned, confused by his statement.

"Then how am I supposed to-"

"You're not listening to me. You're not supposed to _see _them." I opened my mouth to reply but paused. I strained my ears and began to listen. A noise. Quiet but resounding – echoing through the limbo of my mind. A familiar voice came to my ears as I heard the sound of… I scowled

"Those aren't my friends. That's just Sam." My living reflection looked at me strangely but didn't comment. I could hear Sam's voice but it was fading, being replaced by someone else.

"…do hope you get better, old boy." Tempest's voice, normally jovial, now sounded sad. "It simply isn't the same without you." I couldn't identify a source of the noise but I presumed it came from whatever room I was lying unconscious in.

"How nice," the other me said, somehow managing to sound patronising. "Your friends miss you."

"Shut up," I retorted wittily, paying attention to another voice.

"Hey, Atrum, man! How you goin', amigo?"

"Well I think we can guess who that is," my talking reflection commented. Camazotz kept talking.

"I mean I guess not great since you kinda like exploded and then almost died. But apart from that, man, I hoping you havin' some fuckin' awesome coma fantasy about something awesome. I dunno man, I'm too high to think about- oh, bunnies! Bunnies are awesome! I hope you're havin' a coma fantasy about bunnies!" This went on for quite some time. Long enough for me to become bored and confused. Another new voice caught my attention once more.

"Hey, Atrum. Oh, this is Rose by the way… This is kind of weird. I mean, what do I say? I hope you get better? I do, but that seems too generic… Screw this!" Rose fell silent and a long silence ensued. I was afraid the silence would last forever until finally another voice sounded. A gruff, deep voice that I was surprised to hear.

"Get better," Seth muttered quietly, as if fearful he would be overheard. I couldn't help but notice the element of concern in his words, however angrily he might have said them. Then a smile appeared on my face as I heard the voice I was looking forward to most.

"That's Alice!" I exclaimed, listening carefully to her words.

"Atrum? It's me, Alice. They're saying you might be able to hear us even if you're… I'm worried about you, Atrum. We all are. Please wake up…" She fell silent and the smile faded, my momentary respite ended. I turned to see my double looking at me thoughtfully.

"You really care about her," he said.

"Well…yeah. She's my friend."

"You're only real friend. She's the only one you told about your amnesia.

"I told Midnight." He snorted.

"You were high. It doesn't count." There was that word – the same word Camazotz had used. It occurred to me that if Camazotz was under the influence of some similar mind-and-sanity altering substance to the magic-happy-egg then that would explain a lot of his behaviour.

Or maybe he was just crazy. That was actually more likely. After all, a zubat on drugs was just ridiculous.

(-#-)

**James**

_What. Happened. _I very slowly shook my head in incomprehension. Neither of us were able to wrench our gaze away from the gym. Or what was once the gym. Looking at it now I never would have guessed its purpose or even thought it was anything other than another ruined building.

Entire segments of the ceiling had collapsed or exploded outwards and gave the appearance of the gym being hit by a meteor storm. The edges of the windows had been warped and burned and the glass within had been so finely shattered that it resembled sand thrown around. The door had been completely dismantled and the interior looked like it had been ripped apart.

"What happened?" I asked Maylene, voicing Raven's question. She scowled.

"That fucking absol is what happened," she retorted angrily. "Hospitalised my three best fighters, went crazy and tore up the whole building."

"How are they?" She shrugged but I knew it bothered her. You didn't become as good a trainer as her without caring for your pokémon.

"My lucario's still in a critical condition," she said. "The other two are going to be fine." She walked towards the ruined gym without another word, storming inside the building. She passed another man with a clipboard, pushing him out of the way when he tried to stop her. He obviously recognised the Leader after that since he slunk away and didn't try to pursue her. Raven and I approached him as I flashed my ID again.

He wasn't as tense as the other residents I had met but he was hardly easygoing. He fiddled with a pair of glasses fixed to his round face as he glanced at the credentials in my hand.

"Lot of damage here," I commented. He nodded furiously, his glasses bobbing up and down.

"I know, right?" He had a somewhat shaky smile on his face. It was probably the first I had seen in the city. "Who knew a gas explosion could cause so much damage." That caught everyone's attention. Raven tiled her head and looked at him with an expression of mild confusion.

_Gas explosion?_

"Gas explosion?" I asked. He nodded.

"Happened during a gym battle," he told us. "Someone ruptured a gas tank and used a fire move. Boom."

"Lores!" I heard Maylene scream from inside the building. "Get in here!" I nodded to the man and walked inside with Raven. Half a dozen people passed us, frantically rushing out of the building. Raven and I glanced at them curiously before meeting the Leader inside. Her scowl was even more pronounced as she waved her arm at the fleeing people.

"Nobody remembers a damned thing!" she said angrily. "They're all convinced it was a gas explosion."

"Where are they going?" I asked, only to be subjected to yet another glare.

"They're useless here. I sent them home."

"All of them?" Her actions surprised me and I could tell that Raven thought it was unusual too. At the very least we could have questioned them to see what they could remember.

"Come on," Maylene said, turning around and walking through the rubble deeper in to the gym. "I want to show you where the battle took place." I didn't think we'd learn anything from being there but I followed her anyway.

_I do not like this. _I nodded.

"Neither do I…" We walked on, knowing the rubble made the gym difficult to navigate and it might be a while before we reached the centre. I climbed over fallen pillars and collapsed segments of wall. The sunlight shone in through the holes in the ceiling. Maylene muttered something I didn't hear.

"What was that?" I asked.

"I said that damn kid and his absol blew up my fucking gym!"

"Hardly a kid," I muttered in reply, not bothering to deny the damage they had caused. She shook her head, apparently not even listening to me.

"These trainers now – these _kids_– they just don't understand. They grew up in these new times where the whole damn world's fine again. They grew up in a time where everything was sunshine and fucking daisies. They hear about what happened and they don't understand! The whole world damn near ended that night and all of Sinnoh knew. The economy crashed, the government lost control and every single person panicked. You know the suicide rate that month was more than the previous two years?" I opened my mouth to comment but Maylene kept going and I thought it was best not to interrupt whatever soliloquy she had launched into.

"Sunnyshore closed off its borders for years. Candice stepped down and left Snowpoint without a Leader for over a year until someone finally took charge. Veilstone went to shit. The League abandoned us completely after the riots. For the first few months everyone wanted to talk to me. "Why aren't you doing anything?" they used to ask me. "Why aren't you helping us?" As if I was purposely screwing them all over." I didn't dare interrupt her emotional speech as we kept on moving through the gym.

"I didn't know how the fuck I even became Gym Leader. You know I won a contest? As if that qualifies anyone to lead the one of the biggest cities in Sinnoh. I kept trying the same old shit: telling everyone to stay calm, letting the police do their jobs, pretending everything was fine. And then came the first assassination attempt. It was something real stupid – just some idiot with a gun he bought off the streets – but no one expected it." She stopped, reached down and pulled up the side of her shirt, exposing an old bullet wound – healed long ago and faint. She continued walking and spoke again after a moment.

"Damn fucker managed to hit some vital organs. I spent a month in intensive care and when I came out the city was twice as fucked." She snorted and gave a sneer of bitterness that was quickly becoming familiar to me. "Of course it was. How do you think they would react when they found out the Gym Leader was in hospital? And it just happened to be the same time as Saturn disappeared for good. I'm not surprised that Riot 824 happened. Hell, it was probably lucky it happened so soon after Team Galactic. If it hadn't happened before the Paragon killings then the whole region would have imploded.

"You know why they called it 824?" I did. I was there and the memory of that night still plagued me with nightmares every time I closed my eyes. But I let her continue. "Because eighty-two people died and there were eight-hundred-and-twenty-four people injured – all in the space of twenty-four hours. It just shows how the universe works on a system of irony. My parents were one of the first to die, just a few hours before Galactic HQ got hit.

"I was a different person after that day. Too much had happened for me to stay the same. I'd seen what people were capable of. I realised that they need to be controlled. That night, people killed each other randomly. They burned down buildings, they looted businesses, and they assaulted and murdered anyone who got in their way. They pillaged, raped, and burned. They even attacked the hospital I was in. I don't know why I'm telling you this. You were there, after all." I froze, and so did Raven. I noticed her flexing her arms as she shot me an apprehensive glare.

_She knows something. _I nodded, reassuring myself with the knowledge that I had a gun in my inside pocket.

Maylene didn't even slow down and we kept walking alongside her.

"You forget, _James_." She said the name mockingly, spitting it out as all expression vanished from her face. Her cold empty expression was somehow far more frightening than her sneer. "I spent a whole damn month in that hospital – all of February. I was there during 824." My blood ran cold and I fought to maintain my calm façade. I dared not even look at Raven. Any movement might betray my emotions, my guilt. I hoped she wouldn't confirm what I knew had to be true.

"Do you…?" I trailed off, staring straight ahead just like her. Neither of us looked at each other. "Do you know me?"

"I spent a month there," she said again, a touch of anger seeping into her voice. "No one knew who I was in case someone tried another assassination. It was pretty lonely at first. Someone had tried to kill me for doing my job while my city crumbled around me and its residents rebelled. Thankfully, I met someone I could talk to. I met a friend." She looked at me. Her eyes bored into my soul and in those eyes I saw something. Fragments of memory – half faded flashes of a skinny bald girl on crutches calling out for help.

"No," Maylene finally replied, stopping next to a section of collapsed wall and turning her gaze to me. "I don't know you. But I knew _her_." My eyes went wide and I took a step back, shaking my head as if hoping I could change something. My worst fears had been realised. Even Raven was shocked. Maylene continued talking.

"I didn't recognise you at first. After all, I only saw you that one time. You looked familiar but I couldn't place you until I remembered the toxicroak. The one and only Raven. Saturn's toxicroak. Of course looking at you two you'd think she was always yours and never belonged to Saturn at all." I looked over at Raven. She caught my eye and stared at me. She was remembering her former trainer – I could see the image of Saturn in her eyes. Her face must have seemed neutral but I could see her anguish in the way she moved ever so slightly.

That wasn't a time I liked to think about and Raven would rather forget it as well. It had been over sixteen years since she had seen the commander of Team Galactic but the memory of that time still plagued her in her thoughts. I wasn't the only one who had done things I regretted and as strong as Raven was, she still searched for atonement for her crimes. It's not just people that can desire redemption.

"What are you going to do?" I asked Maylene, my voice a mere whisper.

"I'm going to kill you," she replied simply. Raven moved like lightning, stepping up before me and stretching out her massive blood red claws. I moved my arm, swinging my longcoat back and reaching into my pocket where…

Maylene pointed my own gun at me, a small, sleek pistol.

"By the way," she said. "I swiped this off you earlier." Raven went to move but I stopped her.

"Wise decision there," she said to me. "A toxicroak may be fast but a bullet is a hell of a lot faster. I could shoot you both before she gets close enough to hit me." I was sweating now but I kept calm. I briefly glanced at Raven. She gulped, the poison sac on her throat churning as she did so.

_Our sins have caught up with us._

"Maylene," I said to the woman. "You can't do this without someone finding out. Someone in the city will-"

"I OWN THIS CITY!" she screamed, her eyes wide with madness and her whole body trembling noticeably. "If I tell the police to look the other way then that's what they'll do! If anyone else says something then I'll make sure they know their place!" Then I caught a glimpse of Maylene as she really was: hate-filled, paranoid, tormented by her failures and the failures of others. The naïve young girl was long gone and the woman before me was as twisted and broken as her city.

This is what Team Galactic had done.

This is what _I _had done.

"Gena," I muttered, using her real name. "Put down the gun." Maylene went completely still and fell silent. Her voice adopted a dead tone and her eyes seemed drained of all compassion and feeling.

"I haven't been Gena Goode in a very long time," she told me. "Galactic made sure of that." Raven leaped but it was too late and the gun fired.

The gunshot was thunderous in the enclosed space of the gym and my ears were ringing long after I realised I hadn't been hit – nor had Raven. I felt a rush of relief at that but it quickly turned to confusion when I realised the bullet had paused in mid air. Maylene stared at it slack jawed. It was almost comical. Raven tilted her head and stared at it inquisitively.

"What the…?" Maylene muttered. I felt a sudden constricting force tug at my body as the gym faded and I was teleported away.

(-#-)

**Atrum**

"_What do you think'll happen now?"_

"_I don't know. She'll probably kill him."_

"_You're probably right."_

"_Hey, are you okay?"_

"_What's happening?"_

"_He's collapsed!"_

"_Someone get help!"_

"_Can you hear me? Atrum, can you hear me?"_

(-#-)

"Uh oh," I heard my doppelganger mutter beside me. I turned to him.

"What?"

"Listen." I strained my ears and sure enough I heard the voices of Sam and Cassie. They were yelling loudly but seemed to be far enough away that it was difficult to hear them. Even so, I got the gist of the argument.

"Damn it, Sam, there's something wrong with that absol!" Cassie shouted out for Sam to reply with equal fury.

"Why is everyone against Atrum? He hasn't done anything wrong!"

"He hasn't…? Goddamn it, Sam! Why do you keep defending him? Atrum has _hospitalised _more pokémon than he has spoken to! That's probably how he survived the-"

"Hey! Not here…" They lowered their voices so I only got fragments. Whispered phrases and segments of speech about me and Insurgence. I wished I could be there. I wished I could be there and _say _something. I wished that they could understand me, that they could understand what I was going through. And how sorry I was.

I backed away from my double in a futile attempt to retreat into a place where I could be alone. I didn't want this conflict, this grief that my presence seemed to cause every single person I met. The damage I had caused and the danger I had brought down on others was so great. I was a risk. Cassie was right – Midnight too. As if triggered by the thought, Cassie called out loudly.

"Midnight! Midnight! Where the hell are you?" My double spoke up suddenly and distracted me again.

"Doesn't look like things are going very well on the outside," he muttered with an obviously fake voice of sincerity. I decided to ignore him.

"How am I hearing them anyway?" I asked. He shrugged.

"I dunno. Magic?" I groaned.

"This is giving me a headache," I muttered, provoking a chuckle from the other side of me.

"Yeah, I bet you're real confused about this." He froze, his voice uttering a phrase that was familiar. Memories of Jubilife City came to me and the memory of a voice whispering the same phrase before I blacked out. I turned to him.

"You're the whispers!" I yelled. He almost seemed disappointed.

"I would call you slow but then I'd just be insulting myself. Yes. I'm the "whispers" – as you so eloquently put it – in your head. The voices telling you how to fight are just your subconscious mind. You're only rebelling against yourself." That was a depressing thought and I said as much. My double sighed. "Yeah, I know. But at least you're doing better than I am. After all, I'm just another version of you – and a version that only manifests in whispers." I had to admit he was right. And it cheered me up immensely.

(-#-)

**James**

The constricting feeling of teleportation vanished as we emerged in pitch darkness. I put a hand to the dusty floor to balance myself as I called out to Raven. She was beside me in seconds.

_Where are we? _I slowly stood up and waved my hand, hitting something solid. I moved closer to it and felt a wooden texture

"Crates and boxes," I muttered, then noticed the slight echo in my voice. "Big empty building. An abandoned warehouse! So we're still in Veilstone – the northwest of the city. Do you see any windows or doors?"

_No. The psychic seems to be gone too._

"Keep sharp. It's still around here somewh-" A sudden burst of light interrupted my speech. The warehouse lights switched on abruptly and I stumbled back with a grunt as I shielded my eyes from the glare. Raven winced beside me but blinked a few times to become accustomed to the sudden light.

"Who's there?" I shouted out. The recently illuminated warehouse looked to be one of the smaller ones but that wasn't saying much. Large wooden crates, bigger than I was, towered above on every side. They split the interior into a dusty, wooden maze.

A sudden sound caught my attention and I spun around to face the source of it. A dark corridor between boxes hadn't been illuminated. It was a segment of darkness surrounded by bright light at all sides. I exchanged a glance with Raven but looked up again when I saw movement.

A figure glided out of the darkness with shadows trailing in its wake. It stood taller than me, hovering off the ground as it surveyed us both with piercing dark purple eyes. Feline features added to a light grey humanoid body. A purple tail curved up and swung lightly back and forth. Is grey skin was stretched against its body as if there wasn't enough of it and it gave the creature a skeletal appearance – increased by the skull-like head and protruding ribcage. Three circular digits extended from each outstretched hand and a grey tube extended from its spine to the back of its skull. It was surrounded by an aura of power so great that it warped the air around it.

I knew what it was – and so did Raven. I had seen the pictures, I had heard the stories. I knew what it was.

It was a Legend.

It was Mewtwo.

I yelled out in shock

"_Fear not," _the Legend said telepathically, his voice deep, male and booming in my head. I yelled out again, even louder, as I stumbled backwards. Raven stared at the Legend. I knew she had heard him as well but she merely stood and stared. Her arms hung limply by her sides – her attacks useless in the face of one of the most powerful psychics in the world. Her mouth hung slightly agape and her eyes were wide. She was in shock – confronted by what was essentially a pokémon _god_. I grabbed her arm and pulled her close – being careful to avoid her blood-red poison claws.

"_I am Mewtwo," _the Legend said. I almost laughed at the absurdity of such a creature having to introduce himself. The tale of Mewtwo was known to all. A team of Kanto scientists – the first to properly identify Mew as an actual pokémon – created Mewtwo. They used the latest techniques in genetic engineering and spliced together an artificial pokémon from a combination of human and pokémon DNA.

They played god and were punished for it. Mewtwo awoke even more powerful than they had intended and escaped. It killed them all and destroyed the lab before fleeing in the wake of widespread devastation. It became a plague upon the region of Kanto – terrorizing and murdering the population. It seemed to be invincible.

Until Red.

Red: the greatest trainer of all time. A prodigy who systematically defeated Team Rocket at age twelve and went on to defeat the Pokémon League only a few months later. He became a legend unto itself and travelled the land, defeating every opponent and catching every pokémon in a quest to be the greatest.

In one of the greatest battles ever – witnessed only by himself – he journeyed down to the farthest depths of Cerulean Cave and did battle with a Legend.

And he won.

Mewtwo was said to be a lot like Red in some ways. They both desired to be the strongest above all others. Perhaps that is what calmed the psychic – the thought that he was not alone in the world. Perhaps it was the realisation that he wasn't the greatest – that this human had beaten him. Whatever it was, after Red caught the Legend he released him and Mewtwo was never seen again.

Until now.

"_You know who I am," _the Legend said to us. I nodded since I wasn't sure what else to do. _"Good."_

"What do you want?" I asked him, still trying to protect Raven despite knowing the gesture's futility.

"_I require your assistance," _he said. I stopped. I frowned and played back what he had said in my head.

"What?" I asked. Mewtwo moved closer and I winced back.

"_Several months ago," _he began, "_something happened at the peak of Mount Coronet. The human group known as Insurgence enacted a project they entitled "Glitch". After sufficient preparation, they went to the very top of Mount Coronet and finished what Team Galactic started over sixteen years ago." _I shook my head in incomprehension.

"I don't understand," I said. Mewtwo continued.

"_When Galactic rose to power all those years ago they used the power of the Legends and pried open the gateway to another dimension. Insurgence did the same. Something was released that day. Insurgence opened up the abyss and something crawled out."_

"What?" I asked again, this time not out of confusion but out of a desire to know more. I flinched back in fear as the Legend's eyes flashed a purple-blue glow.

"_It is an abomination. Its name is myth. Its mere existence is an affront to life. It was imprisoned at the moment of its conception to ensure it could never cause any damage."_

"What is it?" I asked again. The Legend's eyes flashed.

"_Its name would mean nothing to you and the Legends who know of its existence never speak of it. It is referred to as M." _It was only an initial but the way he said filled my heart with dread. This was a creature the Legends themselves feared to mention.

"Insurgence released it," I said, more to myself than to anyone else. "Why would they do this?"

"_This is a creature that subverts reality itself – bends it to its will. It controls the sky, the ocean and all the vastness of the universe. It invades the minds of others and robs them of their sanity and their life. It holds such immense power that none could hope to challenge it. Yet it can easily be controlled – it is blinded by its lust for devastation. Insurgence need only to point it in the direction of their enemies and contain it afterwards. Indeed, all they need is a means of containing it. Once they have that, they would have control over power that could lay waste to the world."_

"What's Atrum got to do with all of this?" I felt like I had asked too many questions. The Legend's presence was terrifying and he had an odd effect on me. Mewtwo fell silent though his expression never changed – remaining masked by neutrality and sombreness.

"_I have my suspicions," _he said simply, _"and until I either prove or discount them I must watch Atrum closely. He must be protected from Insurgence and from others who would seek him out. That is where your help is needed._

"_I can erase the memories of others but it is time-consuming and draining. If Atrum's existence becomes public knowledge I can do nothing to help. You must protect him and above all, ensure he keeps moving. The longer he stays in one place the better the chance that someone will discover him. He must remain in the care of his trainer. I will help to ensure no one looks too closely at the presence of an absol in a region where they are endangered." _I considered it and examined Raven. She didn't speak or give any indication of understanding.

"We'll do what we can," I said, turning back to Mewtwo. "But… Why come to us? Why not just erase our memories and mind-control us into helping you?" The Legend tilted his head and stared at me.

"_You overestimate my powers."_

"You're a Legend."

"_Not quite. And Legends are not as powerful as they would have their followers believe."_

"You didn't answer my question. Why me?" He stared at me for the longest time and I felt the power and strength in his gaze. This encounter left me in no doubt of the Legend's might. Finally, he spoke.

"_You two are not the only ones searching for redemption." _The light vanished and I felt the familiar feeling of being squeezed and let go as I found myself back in the damaged gym. Raven wasn't nearby and I was about to shout for her when I saw Maylene staring at me.

I gulped and scanned her face for any sort of emotion but there was only rage.

"Now," she said, glaring at me, "who the fuck are you? Wait, actually, I don't care. Get the fuck outta my gym." I stood where I was, dumbstruck by Maylene's attitude. Then I remembered Mewtwo and his memory manipulation. I said a silent thank you to the Legend as I very quickly left the gym. I could feel Maylene glaring daggers at me all the way out.

Raven stood outside the gym, still looking shocked. I rushed over and knelt down beside her.

"Are you okay?" I asked, not bothering to hide my concern. Raven stayed silent for a moment and I was afraid she wouldn't answer.

_Pokémon admire those who are strong. It is only natural that we should most admire those who are stronger than all others. That is why the Legends are worshiped. Because few beings could challenge them and even fewer could win. _That was true. There were only a few dozen people who have ever defeated a Legend – including the Paragon.

_But Mewtwo isn't quite pokémon as much as he isn't quite human. He walks alone and tends to be associated with humans more than pokémon. He is one of the strongest beings ever to exist but is only Legend by a technicality. There are many who hate him and many more who fear him. He is the most infamous pokémon in existence – known to both humans and pokémon alike. To be confronted by him… To have him ask for our help…is slightly overwhelming._

"But you'll be okay?" I asked to be sure. Raven looked up at me and smiled. She croaked out a short burst of laughter before affectionately patting my arm.

_I will be fine. _I smiled back.

"Good."

(-#-)

… … … …

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… … … …

Before me there was something. It was something indescribable – terrifying in its incomprehensibility. I grew cold as I gazed upon it. Terror overtook me and I felt more scared and vulnerable than ever before.

An endless, limitless oblivion lay before me; a mass of wind and static that swirled around with flashes of thunder and occasional piercing screams. It was like a storm; a hurricane of painfully dissonant noises and images of destruction.

I gazed into the abyss.

All the while the sounds invaded my mind. Screams and gunshots, screams and gunshots. Whispers and static and the eldritch cry of a malevolent monster too horrific to comprehend. For at the centre of the hurricane, two red eyes stared out.

I gazed into the abyss.

It swallowed up the world. Cities turned to rubble and creatures turned to dust in its path. A grey wasteland of ash and rot was all that remained – inhabited only by the screams of the fallen, quickly extinguished by the advance of the void.

I gazed into the abyss.

And in return, the two blood-red eyes of the void fixed their gaze on me.

"What is this?" I asked. "What are these visions I keep seeing?" My double turned to me, staring into my eyes. His smile had been replaced by a neutral, almost sombre expression.

"This is the future, Atrum," he told me. "All these things will come to pass – though maybe not in this order." My eyes widened, my gaze returning to the infernal abyss.

"This is the future?" I asked in hopeful disbelief. He shrugged and turned to his own gaze to the sight.

"This is the End of All Things."

"What is that?" He stayed silent so I asked him again, more assertively. "What is that?" Still more silence and I began to grow angry. "You know something. Tell me!" He turned to me and smiled. I noticed something in his smile that somehow made it more sinister. A mocking gleam that served only to patronise me.

"Sorry," he said, even though he wasn't. "I need a link."

"Link this, you bastard!" I shouted, acutely aware that it didn't even make sense as a threat. Then I slashed the other me across the face. He didn't even flinch, just stared at me and kept smiling. The bloody red gash across his face healed instantly.

"Oh boy," I muttered.

"There's more for you to see," my double said.

"I don't want to see anymore!" I shouted. "I want to wake up! I want to go home! And I want you to shut the hell up!" The other me shook his head, chuckling in a condescending manner. Rage overtook me and I arched my back, snarling furiously. My double's smile grew wider.

"Oh, you want to battle," he said. "Well, alright then. Come and get me." I did.

(-#-)

**James**

"How is he?" I asked. Cassie turned in surprise, not knowing I was at the door. It was just her in the waiting room. She looked tired and stressed and alone in the bare waiting room. A few uncomfortable-looking plastic chairs and a desk with old magazines were all that was there.

"The same," she responded simply, then revised her answer. "Both of them are. They're the same. I mean, they're the same as they were before. They're not the same as each other." She paused and muttered, "Damn it". I smiled and sat down beside her. She frowned and watched me as I moved closer to her. I noticed her shying away and switched chairs so I was farther away. She still didn't look as happy as she did when she didn't know I was here but it would have to do.

"Where's Raven?" she asked.

"She's gone to arrange transport back to Eterna," I answered, provoking a frown from Cassie.

"That won't work. People can't understand her."

"You'd be surprised how much people can understand her when she wants them to. When she puts her mind to it she can be quite…expressive." Cassie burst out laughing and I blinked in surprise. She seemed to realise what she was doing and stopped abruptly, looking embarrassed and fiddling with a pigeot feather in her hair. We both said nothing for a few moments.

"You realise he'll find out, right?" Cassie said suddenly. "He'll find out what you're hiding from him." I sighed.

"Probably. Eventually. I just don't think it's the right time to tell him." She snorted and glanced up at me.

"For him? Or for you?" I snorted too but smiled as I did so.

"You're pretty sharp."

"Are you going to answer me?" I paused.

"Both. I'm not ready to tell him and he's not ready to listen." Cassie scowled before she spoke.

"Sam's been through a lot. He's a mature, reasonable and smart person who deserves respect and loyalty." I raised an eyebrow at the passion in her words.

"Who are you trying to reassure? You or me?" She fixed me an unimpressed look.

"You're pretty sharp," she muttered sardonically. I smiled, uttering a short laugh despite myself. Cassie glared at me suspiciously.

"What's so damn funny?" I kept the smile.

"You remind me of someone I used to know." And she did, in a strange way. They looked nothing alike but they both had that fierce and untameable temper. They had the same way of looking at the world. They hid their optimism behind a façade of bitterness from the torments they endured in the past. "Her name was Grace."

"What happened to her?" My smile vanished and I glanced away, the memories still as painful now as they always were.

"She died," I said simply. "And a part of me died with her because I couldn't protect her. She died because of my mistakes and I've had to live with that for sixteen years. I've had to live knowing that I left when I was needed the most." There was a short silence, both of us looking away. I heard the girl sigh.

"I don't want to leave Sam," she said. "I'm just… I don't know what will happen if I stay." I looked back at her, looking into her eyes for the first time. The subject matter seemed to be making her uncomfortable – or maybe it was just because she was talking to me about it – and she squirmed and twitched. I pressed on anyway, the words of the Legend echoing in my mind. I needed to keep the group together and keep them moving.

"Sam needs you. He's lost his family, his home. He doesn't have anyone else…and neither do you." That seemed to really hit home. I knew about her family – about her father. I knew more than she did. "Sam isn't perfect. He's made mistakes and there's a darker aspect of him that he doesn't usually show. But he needs you right now. He needs your support. Besides, I've seen the way your group interacts. Everyone is so hopelessly co-dependent on each other that the group couldn't survive you leaving." Cassie didn't reply, silently toying with a pigeot feather emerging from between the strands of her jet black hair.

"I'll stay," she finally said. "But if there comes a time when I can't take any more or when I look at him and I don't see the Sam I knew…" She trailed off, not needing to finish the sentence. I nodded my head in understanding.

"Thank you." She nodded back, not making eye contact. I heard Raven behind me and turned to leave. As I walked away with Raven at my side my thoughts turned to what had happened. I hoped with all my heart that Cassie and Grace weren't that alike after all. I hoped that what led to Grace's death didn't befall this girl too. Because in the end, Grace didn't leave the man she loved either.

And she paid for it.

(-#-)

**Atrum**

"There's symbolism in this, you know," my worse half commented as he stepped back and dodged a swipe from one claw. I snarled and tried again with the other claw, edging ever closer through the vastness of nothing.

"Shut up!" I growled in reply. I tackled the absol, feeling the soft texture of my own white fur. He just rolled away and turned back to me with that ever-present condescending smile. My narrowed eyes glowed grey for a moment as the beginnings of razor wind manifested.

"I'm just saying," my opponent muttered, "it's psychological." He leaped over the swirling blades of wind, landing gracefully in the nothingness. "You're trying to defeat yourself." I rushed at him, slashing madly. He dodged every hit with ease and boredom, gently pushing me away. "You're waging battle with the dark corners of your own mind. By its very nature, it's a futile gesture." I turned back to him and growled. I refused to let him beat me. "I mean, even if you win this battle what do you actually achieve? The satisfaction of knowing your better than yourself?" Another swipe, another attack and yet another dodge. "That's just kind of sad."

"Fight me!" I screamed. I was breathing heavily and tiring quickly. My movements were clumsy like they were on the outside without the assistance of the whispers. My look-alike looked pristine and didn't look tired at all. He looked surprised at my rage but quickly started to laugh.

"Alright then," my duplicate said to me.

He adopted the pose I had copied from Midnight – arched back, tail straight, fangs bared. For the first time I saw myself as others saw me and I was taken aback at what I saw.

The pose didn't suit the absol – didn't suit me. It was a sad mockery of another pokémon's fighting style. A misguided parody brought on by ignorance and a subconscious desire to fit in – to have friends, family, ties to other living beings. It struck me as a sad analogy of my life. I copied Midnight in battle. I tried to walk like Alice. I was friendly like Tempest and sarcastic like Rose. I was even starting to swear like Seth and Camazotz. I had no identity for myself. Everything I was, I had borrowed from others. I couldn't even remember my real name. The very fact of my existence was a mystery to everyone and all I knew of my former life was a news report. The momentary glimpses of the family I didn't recognise. The friends I must have grown up with and I had felt nothing when I had stared at their brutalised corpses. It was their blood that covered me when I emerged from the darkness of Mount Coronet – pursued by the memory I had forgotten and the torment of maniacal laughter I had discovered was my own but which still seemed so alien.

An ignorant parasite pursued by forgotten memories and the depravity of my own mind. That was my life – my whole existence – summed up.

I blinked. It wasn't like me to overanalyse like that. I suppose being trapped in oblivion with your subconscious mind will do that to you. It just gave me another incentive to win.

I began to summon another razor wind when the thought suddenly occurred to me that I shouldn't be able to. There was no wind. There was no air. How was I breathing? It's my own mind – I thought I should be breathing so I did. To test this theory, I stopped breathing. The last dusty air was expelled from my lungs and I simply neglected to inhale again. And it was fine.

I locked eyes with my double.

And I smiled.

Abruptly, he stopped smiling, looking apprehensive. I found myself thinking that he looked a little_too_good. I wondered if he would look so good while wet.

The water gun formed immediately in front of me – just like it had during the gym battle. My evil twin yelled out as he ran but I just controlled the stream of water and had it circle through the air. It knocked him over and drenched him in ice cold water. He shook off the worst of the dampness before turning to me and fixing me with a horrid glare.

"How are you doing this?" he cried, panicked and scared. "How can you take control like that? I made sure I had all the power and you had none!"

"This is a dream," I told him, slightly confused by his statements. "Or a coma fantasy or something. Whatever it is, it's in my head. And I decide what happens in my head."

It was my turn to smile now. I liked the effect the water gun had had so I formed another. And then fifteen more at various points surrounding him. He opened his mouth to speak but I didn't give him a chance and released the sixteen airborne torrents at the same time.

Cackling eagerly, I darted over and slammed into my double, eliminating any recoil or pain I might have felt. My double didn't have that luxury. It briefly occurred to me why he didn't just control my mind like I was but I was having too much fun to dwell on it.

A thought formed a solid floor of nothingness and I slammed the evil me down, holding one paw to his throat as I preened triumphantly.

"You win, Atrum," he wheezed. I blinked.

"What, just like that?" He nodded.

"Uh huh. Oh, but one last thing. You should probably listen to that."

"Are you sure electroshock therapy is safe?" I heard Sam say.

"All other options have been exhausted," another voice said. It was human and unfamiliar. "If your absol is going to wake up then this is how he's going to do it."

"What?" I asked aloud, confused by the conversation I was hearing.

"By the way, Atrum," my double commented snidely from below. A smile had returned to his face. "This is going to hurt." And oh did it hurt. A blinding bolt of lightning struck me dead on and for a moment I was paralyzed. The current ran through me and I froze. Abruptly I jerked into spasms in my body and in my mind. The abyss vanished as my eyes shot open.

The blinding lights shone down from the ceiling and burned holes in my retina. Cries and shouts pierced my ears but I was too weak and disorientated to make them out. I flailed around and tried to distinguish shapes in the warped and unfathomable plethora of colours and sounds that enveloped me. I tried to sit up but a sudden rush of white-hot pain sent me yelling out and forced me back to a lying down position.

This situation was familiar to me and I closed my eyes – forcing myself to calm down. I took deep breaths to calm my racing heart and slow the rasping of my lungs.

When I eventually opened my eyes again I saw Sam but I barely had time to say anything before he embraced me.

"What are you doing?" I cried, frozen with shock and horror as I felt his arms wrap around me.

"You're awake," he muttered.

"Yes, I know I'm awake. Now get off me." I felt additional embraces from Tempest, Alice and Camazotz. "EVERYONE STOP HUGGING ME!"

"He's obviously uncomfortable with this," I heard Cassie say. The voice of salvation. Mercifully the others seemed to realise my discomfort and pulled away. Sam looked me in the eye. A smile had lit up his face and I noticed lines of worry creasing his forehead. His eyes were sunken and dark and he looked like he had lost sleep.

"I'm glad you're okay, Atrum," he muttered, still smiling.

"Quiet," I muttered, feeling weak and feeble. "Everyone be quiet. I just want to sleep."

"Haven't you slept enough already?" Alice commented. "I mean it _has _been over two weeks." I froze, sitting up instantly and looking at Alice.

"It's been what?"

(-*-)

Two weeks. I'd been in a coma for two weeks – over two weeks. Sixteen days. It felt like only hours. A lot had happened in those two weeks. That guy with the scary ninja pokémon showed up early on. I forget his name. Jake, or something like that. And his pokémon was named Robin. They cleared up everything about the accident at the gym (apparently they were blaming it on a gas explosion) and paid for the group to stay at a hotel.

He showed up later on after I woke up but he only met with Sam and Cassie. He got us out of the city in less than a day. Personally, I thought more people would want me to stay – or at the very least be concerned that I had only just woken up from a coma. I suppose they just figured "Oh, he'll be fine". Honestly it seemed like everyone just wanted us gone and out of the city.

I didn't understand what could be so horrid about it but I hadn't even been in it. The fourteen days I spent in Veilstone I was either in the gym or the hospital. I had never seen the outside of the buildings or the walls of the city so I couldn't judge it. Even while leaving we were all contained in our pokéballs – all except for Seth who apparently stayed out for protection.

We all took in a breath of fresh air upon being released in the wilderness of – according to a nearby sign – Route 214. Sam and Cassie made sure we were all there and the lingering looks they cast me didn't escape my notice. After that they immediately dived into the map and started discussing tactics and costs and other boring trainer stuff.

"Freedom!" Camazotz yelled. "More colours, man! No more grey!" Seth inhaled deeply and gave a smirk of contentment to be out of the city.

"That place was suffocating me," Seth muttered. The others nodded in agreement and began their conversations. Sam and Cassie looked up at the sky and muttered something about rain. They all carefully avoided mentioning me and my part in our extended stay in Veilstone City. We began walking but I was still weak and disorientated from everything that had happened. I moved at a slower pace than the others so I quickly fell behind.

"I'm fine," I told Alice before she could say something. "I'll just hang around back here for a while. I'll join the rest of you in minute," Alice looked reluctant but I convinced her to go on ahead and talk to Midnight. She did and I slowed down a little more.

I didn't like lying to Alice but I didn't want to worry her. I was far from fine. There was fragility in me that had been absent before. A weariness had infested my body, enveloping me and ensuring a sense of weakness at all times. I felt it in the way I moved, how my bones ached and my movements lagged behind others. I wondered if that would ever go away. I wondered if I would ever be like I was. I also wondered if this was perhaps a sort of punishment for what the whispers…for what _I _had done. I tried to put it out of my thoughts and concentrate on the road ahead but there was still one thing that needed to be addressed.

"You can show yourself," I muttered quietly. "I know you're there." My double appeared in the corner of my eye and waltzed out to walk beside me. He was in plain view but no one else acknowledged his presence and I knew that if I asked then they wouldn't know he was there. He smiled and I sighed.

"You're going to be hanging around," I said. It wasn't a question but he answered it anyway.

"Yeah," he said. "I'm really looking forward to it." He kept looking around as if taken aback by the wonders around him. It was really annoying.

"So what do I call you?" I asked. He looked at me inquisitively.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"If I'm going to have to put up with you then I need to call you something. And I'm not doing the whole pronoun trouble again." My double seemed to consider the thought carefully. He tilted his head and furrowed his brow in contemplation, still wearing that slightly mocking smile.

"I do have a name," he finally responded, "but it wouldn't mean anything to you. So if you think I need one…you can go ahead and call me M."

(-#-)

Maylene stormed though the hospital corridors, brightly lit and smelling like disinfectant. She ignored everything around her – including the pair of bodyguards that followed her some distance behind. Maylene stormed up to a doctor who stood outside the room consulting a clipboard. She didn't bother to read his name tag.

"So where is he?" she demanded. "Where's Iustitia?" The doctor looked momentarily startled.

"Your lucario?" he asked, trying his best not to be intimidated by the fearsome woman before him. He had never before realised how short he was. Maylene scowled.

"Who the fuck else would I be talking about?" The doctor paused.

"Well…"

"Don't fucking sugar coat it!" Maylene screamed. "Just tell me how the surgery went!" The doctor gulped and spoke again.

"His injuries were severe but he will recover. He's lost one arm, an eye and the use of his mouth but can still communicate using telepathy. I'd recommend…" He trailed off when Maylene stormed past him into the room.

A lucario lay stretched out on one of the larger beds – built to accommodate pokémon of his size. He looked beaten. His indigo fur had been shaved off and a stump was all that remained of his left arm. His body was dotted with both neat surgical scars and jagged lacerations. Bandages covered most of his body – including his head, neatly covering up the spot where his right eye used to be. Maylene grabbed a chair and sat down beside her lucario.

"Well?" she asked, not trusting the doctor's judgement. The lucario nodded.

"_I am recovering, but I beg leave of absence for a time, my lady," _the lucario spoke, sending his words into his trainer's mind.

"Hell no!" Maylene retorted, slamming her fist down onto the table. "I'm not letting you out of my sight until you're better again." Maylene cared deeply for her lucario and felt a rush of anger and defiance at the thought of letting him go. At the back of her mind was the nagging feeling that she wasn't entirely sure how he was injured. The memory of a gas explosion came to mind but it couldn't cause the injuries of her lucario. The memory of an absol, recently released from the hospital, tugged at the edges of her mind.

"_The request was merely a formality, my lady," _the lucario replied, somewhat guiltily but also determined. _"I must leave – either with your consent or without. The Gods have bequeathed a mission unto me and I must follow it." _Maylene fell silent. She knew it wasn't her place to argue with the lucario. She knew that he would complete his mission and return to her.

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

Iustitia's remaining eye flashed with resoluteness and his face darkened as the faint traces of a smile appeared on his scraggy muzzle.

_"The absol carries a great evil within him,"_ he muttered. _"I must find this absol. I must find him and destroy him."_


	25. Divergence

_Beta-Reader: The Waffle19_

* * *

**Chapter 25: Divergence**

* * *

**Cassie**

I awoke as usual to the sound of drums and guitars bellowing in my ears. I uttered a frustrated groan closer to animal than human. All of my speech was rendered incomprehensible in the early hours. I fumbled around my ragged black hair and ripped out the headphones – wincing slightly as I pulled a few strands of hair. As the music vanished I felt a rush of peace. Then I heard the rain beating down and whatever serenity had been there vanished along with the music.

I lay in my comfy sleeping bag and gazed at the roof of the tent, watching the raindrops as they plummeted down and struck the tent noisily. Midnight lay curled up beside me. Alice seemed to have snuck in during the night and lay beside her. Camazotz was apparently still outside despite the rain. I could hear the sound of the rain outside, muted somewhat by the canvas but still surprisingly loud. Midnight stirred beside me but rolled over and went back to sleep. Alice twitched and did the same.

I stared at the roof of the tent, now perfectly awake and unable to go back to sleep. My mind was still sleepy and I found myself thinking about nothing at all for a few moments. I just lay back and listened to the sound of the rain.

That got boring very quickly.

Careful not to wake my pokémon I slowly reached over my bag towards the entrance of the tent. My hand grasped the zip at the bottom and I gradually pulled it up to open the entrance slit slightly. The cold instantly seeped in and I shivered. Midnight stirred again at the movement and flashed open one eye. I nodded at her in reassurance and she rolled back over again. Her endless concern for me always seemed calming. I knew she was there for me and Alice no matter what.

I pulled the edges of the sleeping bag closer so only my face was exposed and I peered out of the crack in the tent. I could see the rain crashing down outside. The grass was wet and swampy and glowing with the light of early morning sun. Tempest, Rose and Camazotz had fallen asleep in a pile next to each other outside Sam's tent – apparently oblivious to the downpour.

"Sam," I whispered, still mindful of the two sleeping pokémon at my other side. There was no reply from the tent opposite me so I spoke again. "Sam!"

"I'm awake," came a muffled response. "I was just hoping that if I ignored you then you'd wait and I'd get some more sleep."

"Not going to happen," I told him, fighting back a smile. I heard a sigh and the tent moved. The entrance rolled up a fraction and Sam peeked out. He frowned at the rain and moved back slightly as the raindrops wet the edges of his hair.

"It's raining," he said, turning his gaze to me.

"I noticed."

"Realistically, how long can we put off going out in that?" I was conflicted. My desire to keep to schedule was fighting my desire to keep warm and dry.

"A few hours, I guess." It was a compromise that wouldn't set us back too much in terms of time. "I want to get to Pastoria City within three days."

"Water type, right?" I nodded.

"Strong against fire, rock and ground-"

"Weak against grass and electric. Best stat is defence with below average speed." He smiled. "I_do_pay attention." I scowled, then went back to my original topic.

"The Leader's called "Crasher Wake" apparently. Any idea why?" Sam laughed quietly.

"Yeah, he used to be a wrestler on television and kept his moniker when he became Gym Leader. He's about fifty now but refuses to stop pretending he's still a wrestler. It's both sad and ridiculous." Movement behind him in the tent caught my attention and I heard a growl. Sam turned back and muttered something.

"Who's in there with you?" I asked.

"Seth," I heard him reply. "Atrum's in his pokéball." I hesitated for a moment but I asked the question that was on my lips.

"About Atrum…" Sam stopped and slowly turned to me, looking apprehensive and distrustful.

"Yeah?" he asked. James' words echoed through my mind. Memories flashed before my eyes. I remembered our arguments and fights and how he always let me win. I thought about his support in Jubilife when I told him about my mother. How he risked his life to follow me into the Global Terminal. How he always stood by me. I gulped and turned my head away.

"Nothing," I muttered softly. Then I closed the entrance of the tent, set my alarm for three hours later and lay back down.

(-*-)

Three hours later I awoke with a start. I blinked. I hadn't even realised I was falling asleep. The rain still beat down unrelentingly. It never let up. I groaned and sat up. I gently ruffled Midnights fur to wake her up and she groaned too.

"Come on," I told her unenthusiastically. "We have to get up." Midnight stared up at me.

_Why? _she seemed to say. I paused, unable to think of an answer. I sighed and began to get dressed. It was awkward getting dressed inside the confines of the sleeping bag but it was a good trade off for avoiding the worst of the biting cold. Alice yawned and stretched before strolling over to the entrance. I opened it slightly and she wandered out with Midnight following her after a moment's hesitation.

I quickly packed up all my things and trailed outside after my pokémon. My boot gave a squelch as it sunk into the waterlogged soil. I grabbed my two hoods and struggled to keep them over my head despite the wind while the lashing rain struck me and the cold made me shiver madly.

The screech of my golbat made me look away. Camazotz, Tempest and Rose were helping dismantle the campsite and Midnight and Alice had joined in as well. Seth was nowhere to be seen so I presumed Sam had returned him – sparing him from the potentially lethal downpour. Atrum was slinking towards Alice and the others, looking miserably wet. He paused and looked up at me. Unable to stop shaking, I looked at him sympathetically.

"Absol," he muttered. I sighed.

"I know," I muttered in response.

(-#-)

**Atrum**

"No you don't," I told Cassie as she looked down at me with an odd look of sympathy. "You don't understand I word I'm saying. I could be talking about cheese for all you know." I heard a familiar taunting voice behind my ear.

"Well that would be a step up in intelligence compared to what you usually talk about." I turned to my double and glared at him. As a figment of my imagination he wasn't affected by the rain. He looked as pristine as usual whereas I looked like someone had pulled a drowned corpse out of a river bed.

"Why won't you leave me alone?" I asked him, not expecting a reply. As I thought, he just smiled and chuckled under his breath.

"Atrum!" I heard Alice cry. I turned to see her signalling me as the others moved on. "Come on!" I bounded over to her and she helped me up when I fell over. I found myself hoping the rain wouldn't last long. My hopes went ignored however, and after almost an hour of trudging through the pouring rain even Sam was sick of it. I heard him groan and pull his jacket closer – not that it did much good.

My paws abruptly touched down on concrete and I stopped to look around. The entrance to a large tunnel was up ahead – gloriously proclaimed by an overhanging sign as "M_ _ia_ T_ u _el". Presumably there was a few letters missing. I wasn't sure how it was supposed to be pronounced otherwise.

Concrete paved the area around the entrance and there were several sizeable lights that were aimed inside. None of them worked and most of them were broken – shattered glass fragments littering the ground around them. Work had obviously been started and some parts were renovated but everything had been abandoned.

"Shelter," Cassie said aloud, more to herself to anyone else. We rushed for the entrance and darted inside.

Sam released Seth as soon as we entered the sanctuary of the tunnel. The charmeleon glanced around suspiciously for a few seconds before relaxing slightly as he realised he was out of the rain. He flexed the claws of one hand and fiddled with his everstone using the other.

Everyone looked glad to be out of the rain at last – even if it was just for a while and we had to go into a cave to do it. Tempest looked overjoyed beforehand and his expression hadn't changed that much so I wasn't sure if he was happier of sadder now.

"Hey!" someone yelled. "I challenge you to a battle!" Everyone groaned and a uttered a barrage of swearing.

"Fuck!"

"Damn it!"

"Crap!"

"Fuck man, we in a cave. How did that happen?" Sam sighed and turned around to see our challenger. A human stood at the tunnel opening and looked ridiculous in his outfit. He carried a long stick with a rope hanging off it.

"Are you serious?" Sam asked him. "We just got in out of the rain." He shrugged, if in a slightly apologetic way.

"You can stay inside the cave if you want," he said. "The rain doesn't bother me that much – I'll stay outside and the pokémon can go at the entrance." Sam sighed again but nodded his head in agreement. He looked down at Rose.

"You're up," he said.

"Oh, really? I get to go out in the torrential rainfall again? It's not even my birthday." I heard Tempest's voice from behind me.

"Why, Rose, I had no idea you so enjoyed the rain." Rose groaned loudly as he stepped away. He came to the exit of the tunnel and paused. He looked outside and lifted one flower out into the rain. Shivering and pulling back, he stayed where he was just within the tunnel.

"This should do," he assured himself. I noticed M waltzing up to me with his usual smile.

"Three guesses what's going to happen next," he said. I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant but another noise interrupted me.

"Gyarados!" the trainer shouted. I heard sighs and laughter coming from the other pokémon as we all turned to see the familiar sight of Rose facing a gigantic blue serpent which glared down at him.

"COME AT ME, BRO!" the gyarados bellowed.

"Ghaagggh!" Rose screamed in reply. An equally terrifying battle cry. He cowered and threw up his arms. The ground before him ruptured apart as a path of vines and branches shot through the ground towards the gyarados. A muddy green talon emerged from the ground and latched onto the gyarados' tail and pulled hard as it vanished back into the earth.

The enormous pokémon screamed as it lost balance and plummeted head-first into the rock face. It rolled off and slammed into the ground where it lay unmoving. Rose stood dumbstruck for a moment before he threw up his arms and yelled out in joy.

"Yes! I am the master! Screw you, gyarados! You think you can take me? I don't think so!" A loud rumble drew everyone's gaze upwards where the section of rock hit by the gyarados looked dangerously unstable. Rose sighed. "Oh crap."

"Out of the way!" Sam shouted as he pulled Cassie into the cave. Midnight grabbed Alice with her mouth and ran inside while the rest of us followed. Rose screamed and waved his arms as he rushed back inside the cave only for Camazotz to grab him and lift him up.

"Don't trip over now," M's voice taunted me as I ran forward. The first of the rocks began to fall and they hit the ground with loud crashes that made me wince and Camazotz yell. I thought I heard high-pitched screamed as a yellow thing fled the rockslide but I may have imagined it. As the sound of the falling rocks began to grow silent the dust cloud and the darkness began to fade. I looked around to see where we were.

(-#-)

**Cassie**

I couldn't see where we were. The darkness of the cave obscured my vision. I coughed as the dust of the cave collapse gradually began to see. I felt the cold rock floor beneath me and I moved my hands to see if I could find anything else. I felt something soft and warm.

"That's me," I heard Sam say. I instantly pulled my hand away.

"It's dark," I said.

"Take my hand."

"What?"

"Hey, if you want to stumble around in the cave that's fine. I just thought that…" I grabbed his hand and he shut up. There was something reassuring about feeling his soft skin on mine. Reassuring and terrifying at the same time.

"Where are the others?" I asked. A light appeared as Seth clambered out from beneath a pile of smaller rocks. He coughed and scowled at the same time.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked him. Seth growled at him but nodded. Camazotz fluttered down from the ceiling, carrying Rose. Tempest wandered over from a spot where he had escaped without any damage. Midnight, Alice and Atrum emerged from various parts of the tunnel as well. Sam and I both breathed sighs of relief at everyone being unhurt. I reached into my back pocket and pulled out a map while Sam took the backpack off his shoulder and rooted inside for some torches.

Seth leaned in closer and moved his tail so the flaming light made it easier to see. Aware that it wasn't something that Sam had told him to do, I nodded in acknowledgement. He said nothing back. I turned my attention to the map. I groaned as I realised our location.

"Bad news?" Sam asked, shining a torch down onto the map.

"We'll have to take a huge detour to Solaceon Town and then circle around through Hearthome to get to Pastoria City. It also means a trip through a gigantic swamp." I sighed. "We'll never get to Pastoria." Sam smiled. It looked even better in the candle-like light of Seth's tail flame – revealing angles to his face I had never noticed before. His blue eyes twinkled down at me.

"It's just a delay," he said. "We'll get there eventually. We've been to Hearthome before and as for the swamp – how bad could it be? Besides, I've always wanted to see Solaceon Town." I paused for a moment before nodding. He pulled me up and smiled again. We led the way through the tunnel and the pokémon followed.

I never let go of Sam's hand.

(-#-)

**Atrum**

"What's that?" I groaned aloud at the sound of my double's voice. Alice glanced at me when I did so.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. I shook my head, glaring at M as he strolled along beside me, looking immaculate and smug.

"No," I muttered. "Nothing's wrong."

"Seriously," M asked again. "What is that?" I sighed.

"That's a hippopotas," I said. Alice looked at me.

"Uh…I know it is, Atrum."

"Are you sure?" I heard my double say, sounding doubtful. "That doesn't look much like a hippopotas."

"How would you possibly know what a hippopotas looks like?" I snapped. Alice drew back, looking hurt and confused. I felt a twinge of guilt.

"I wasn't talking to you," I told her.

"Who were you talking to?"

"It was…" I trailed off, aware she couldn't see my irritating doppelganger. I sighed and lowered my head. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, Alice. Can you forgive me?" She smiled at me.

"Of course," she said. The taunting laughter of my double was so loud in my mind that I could just barely hear her. I did my best to ignore M as me and Alice kept walking through the dimness of the tunnel, following our trainers and the other pokémon through the gloom. Seth had been released as soon as we got out of the rain – ignoring some silent objections to doing so.

Cassie was obviously annoyed at the delay but she was making the best of it by alphabetizing the contents of the bags during our stop for rest. The tunnel would bring us to another town that I couldn't remember the name of. From there we would make our way to a city that I couldn't remember the name of.

I sometimes wondered how remarkably little I knew about what I was doing or where I was going.

As we walked I felt a sort of prickle on the back of my neck and a feeling that was hard to pin down. I found myself squirming, turning my head from side to side and casting my gaze around. I didn't even know what I was looking for until I caught M's eye. He had a slightly amused smile on his face.

"We're being watched," he whispered, tilting his towards the left. My eyes widened and I swivelled my head to where he had indicated. I was nervous and paranoid, wondering what was watching us. I heard a low growl from Midnight up ahead, obviously realising the same thing. She wandered over and came to a stop beside Alice. I looked at her but she avoided eye contact as she scanned the area.

"There," she finally said, pointing into a subsection of the tunnel. At first I didn't see anything.

"On the wall," M told me, trailing over beside me. I shifted my vision and narrowed my eyes. A sliver of movement caught my attention and I focused my gaze on the wall. It was partially shrouded in the darkness of the deeper parts of the cave – not illuminated by our group.

I stared at the wall and suddenly, a part of it peeled off and floated away into the darkness. Alice and I jumped in unison but Midnight and M just nodded in understanding. Alice and I drew closer to get a better view.

Shapes and symbols were visible in the depths of the inner cave. There was a familiarity about them that I couldn't put my finger on when I couldn't see them very well.

"What are they?" I asked Alice.

"I think…they're the Unown," she whispered fearfully. I frowned in confusion.

"Huh?" I wondered aloud.

"You don't know about them?" I heard someone else say. Alice and I both turned as all the others joined us. Rose had just spoken and he raised his voice again.

"They're the Unown alright," he muttered, a slight hint of wariness in his voice as his eyes followed the creatures' flights. I glanced again at the flickers of movement by the edges of the wall. The twisting of shadows was all that revealed their presence. I stared at them as they moved just out of sight. Fear and fascination overtook me and I found myself wanting to know more.

"What are they?" I asked.

"I don't really know about them that much," Alice said quietly. "I just heard rumours growing up with Cassie and Sally. They're not in Hoenn."

"Yes, they are," Seth said. "The Unown are everywhere – you just don't see them most places." I noticed M in the corner of my eye, listening intently to every word spoken. There was a curious glimmer in his eye as we talked.

"What are they?" Alice asked, to which Seth merely shrugged.

"Not even the humans know," he said. "Hence the name." I was even more confused now than ever.

"Well, what do they say?" I asked. "What do the Unown say?"

"They don't say anything," Midnight interjected. "At least, not to us normal pokémon. They only associate with the Legends."

"Legends?" I asked. "What legends?" All eyes turned to me in shock. Alice blanched and I knew I had made a terrible mistake. M winced beside me.

"Oh boy," he muttered, turning away. "You really should have thought before you came out with that."

"You…you don't know of the Legends?" Tempest muttered in disbelief.

"Um… Yeah, I do. Sure. That's something I know about a lot. Me and the Legends go way back. I knew the Legends before they were…legendary." Alice looked panicked and Midnight remained expressionless but the others narrowed their eyes in suspicion. Seth opened his mouth to say something but I spoke first.

"I know Legends! I know…uh, I know, um… Zeus! That's a Legend. He's a Legend – he's very legendary."

"I've never heard of him," Seth growled.

"He's an absol Legend," Alice piped up. "You probably wouldn't know him." Seth glared at me suspiciously, still not convinced. He turned to Camazotz.

"You usually know about obscure crap," he said. "You ever heard of this Zeus?" The golbat cackled loudly and fell to the ground.

"Fuck yeah, man!" he shrieked. "Zeus! King of the gods! Lives on a mountain and throws thunderbolts!" Seth growled but turned back to me.

"Okay, fine," he said. "I suppose you're telling the truth. But why do you worship an electric Legend?"

"You heard Camazotz. He's the king." We both turned to aforementioned golbat who was still on the ground.

"You ever wonder 'bout cheese, man?" he mumbled, crawling away. "I wonder 'bout cheese a lot." I let out a sigh of relief.

"Wow, that was a weird coincidence," M muttered. I agreed, though I wondered where the name Zeus had come from…

"Anyway," Midnight said, bringing us back on topic. "The Unown are the servants of the Legends."

"You mean the Gods," Rose argued. Seth and Midnight both gave a dismissive sound.

"They're not _gods_, you idiot," Seth retorted.

"They're just powerful pokémon," Midnight said. It was odd to have the two of them agree about something so I figured I should definitely pay attention. Rose snorted, obviously not impressed by their cooperation.

"Hey, you don't get to make light of the Gods," he said. "You weren't in this region. I was. I grew up hearing about the power of the Gods and the day the sky turned green and purple. None of you experienced that." He paused and briefly turned his head to Camazotz. "Well, you did, but you were crazy and lived in a cave." He looked at me. "I have no idea where you were."

"Presumably he was in the care of his dear trainer, Jesse," Tempest spoke up.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go with that."

"You suck at lying," M told me.

"Shut up," I retorted. "I'm awesome at lying." The others just stared at me. Even Alice looked confused.

"Um…" Rose said. "Okay. Thank you for sharing." M's laughter rose again and my face burned in embarrassment. I shot him a glare and tried not to attract anyone else's attention as I slowly wandered away from the group.

"Where are we going?" M asked, walking along side me as I sidled away from the group.

"_I'm _going," I stressed. "_You _stay here." M paused for a moment, thinking about the statement.

"You realise that's not going to work, right?" I sighed.

"I know. I just thought it was worth a shot." He nodded in understanding.

"I can accept that. So where are we going?"

"I want to meet the Unown." He looked at me inquisitively.

"I'm guessing this isn't a social call to meet the natives." I shook my head, descending further into the cave. I didn't like doing this; it brought up unpleasant memories of Mount Coronet and I hated that mountain.

"Okay," M said thoughtfully, "let me see if I can guess." He looked to be deep in thought for a moment. "It was only after you learned what they were that you wanted to meet them. You know, for example, that they serve the pokémon _gods_." He said the word mockingly, his voice full of bitterness. "And you know from snippets of half-understood conversation that these Legends hold enormous power. They might even have some idea of what happened to you on Mount Coronet five months ago. The Unown, therefore, might be able to help. They might be able to give you some answers." I nodded to my double and continued on through the depths of the tunnel.

Symbols covered all of the walls. Pictograms and letters stretched out across the floor and up the walls to the ceiling. I glimpsed a few words but I didn't bother reading them as I was distracted. There was no light now this deep in the cave but it didn't bother me; I could see perfectly as a dark type. I stopped where I was as a sound reached my ears. A cattery chorus of whispers echoed lightly through the passage.

"Where are they?" I asked M. He paused and frowned as he listened closely.

"Up ahead on the left," he replied. I kicked back and rushed forwards through the tunnel of words. The chorus grew louder and I eventually emerged in a large circular room – far bigger than any other section of the cave. Like the rest of the tunnel it was covered in shapes and symbols but only some of them were actually part of the rock face. Most of them were part of the enormous mass of floating letters that inhabited the cavern.

The Unown were a mobile language – an ocean of linguistic debris that rose and fell in the expanse of the curved room. They attached themselves to the walls as others peeled themselves off and joined the flow. Sentences formed in the air as the individual letters floated in and out of time. They carried with them an air of intrigue and a feeling that they were somehow alien. The only noise they made was the low prattle of voices that didn't seem to exist as individuals outside the group. It was one of the strangest sights I had ever witnessed.

"Wow," M mumbled beside me, "it's like the alphabet soup of doom."

"What?" I asked, and then shook my head. "You know what, never mind." I cleared my throat and turned to the so-called "alphabet soup of doom".

"Uh, greetings," I said, trying to sound more sophisticated. M roared in laughter but I ignored him and waited for the Unown to reply.

"FELICITATIONS!" they shouted in unison – the bellowing roar of an enormous crowd that swelled with noise. The sound pierced my ears and ruptured my mind. I winced and fell backward. M laughed as he watched me get back on my feet. I shot him a glare but he did nothing to contain his laughter.

My ears were ringing as I got back to my feet.

"What was that?" I asked them.

"WE ARE STRUCK BY INCOMPREHENSION AS A CONSEQUENCE OF YOUR INQUIREY!" they screamed back in reply. They pulsed with every word and assembled themselves to form the sentence before drifting away again. Under normal circumstances I might have been impressed but my head was pounding too much.

"Indoor voice!" I yelled back at the floating symbols. "Please!"

"YOUR STATEMENT CONFUSES US!"

"You're talking too loudly!"

"YOUR ASSERTIONS CONTINUE TO PERPLEX!" THEY YELLED. Sorry. They yelled. "OUR INTONATION IS SATISFACTORY IN ITS AMPLITUDE!" I groaned in frustration and turned to M.

"Could you _please _give me a hand here?" I asked. M shrugged.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked. "Their intonation is satisfactory in its amplitude."

"FOR WHAT DISIDERAION DO YOU CONVERSE WITH INSIGNIFICANCY?"

"What?" I asked.

"They're asking why you're talking to the air," M translated.

"Right. So, obviously they can't see you."

"WE RETAIN THE APTIDUDE OF PERCEIVING WITH ADEQUATE ADROITNESS!"

"What?"

"They can see fine."

"Right."

"YOUR DISCONCERTING COMMUNICATION HAS RESULTED IN A QUANDARY!" I groaned and tried to redirect the conversation to why I was here.

"I'm here to ask about what happened on Mount Coronet," I said, trying to sound assertive and confident.

"That's great, Atrum. Way to take charge of the conversation."

"Shut up!"

"WE HAVE SO FAR NEGLECTED TO COMMUNICATE A RESPONSE!"

"Just answer the question!"

"DO NOT REQUISTITION US! YOU ARE NUGATORY! WE ARE THE EMMISARIES OF PROVIDENCE!"

"Fuck it! You obviously can't help me!"

"Us," M reminded me. "They obviously can't help _us_." I turned to my doppelganger and scowled furiously.

"You're not helping either!"

"YOU CONTINUE TO ADDRESS AN APPARENT NONENTITY! WE ARE UNABLE TO ASCERTAIN AN INCENTIVE!" M leaned in towards me, still smiling.

"Tell them you're talking to your imaginary friend."

"I'm not telling them I have an imaginary friend!" I groaned loudly. "Why can't I have a normal brain that doesn't yell at me?"

"WE REMAIN DISCOMBOBULATED! DO YOU REQUIRE ASSITANCE FOR YOUR OBSTREPEROUS CEREBRUM?"

"Aarrggh!" I yelled out, apparently having lost the ability to formulate actual language. "Fuck it! Fuck everything!" I turned to the Unown. "Thank you. You've been very unhelpful and a thorough waste of time. Now I have a headache. I'm leaving!" I turned to walk away but stopped. "Just as soon as someone tells me how to get back!"

"MAINTAIN PERAMBULATION UNTIL YOU ARRIVE AT A DIVERGENCE IN THE CONDUIT! A DIRECTION INDICATED BY THE RIGHT PRECEDES YOUR RETURN!"

"I got it," M told me as I turned to him. I glared at pretty much everything as I stormed out of the cavern away from the Unown.

"I think that went well," M muttered with that infuriating smirk as he led the way through the tunnel.

"I hate you so much," I told my doppelganger.

"Maybe that's your problem."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, I'm no psychologist," he admitted, whatever that was, "but it seems to me that most of your problems are self inflicted." I frowned.

"What?" I asked, provoking a shrug from M before he launched into a speech.

"Think about it. You feel guilty about everything you've done and everyone you've hurt – especially so since you enjoyed it. That severe guilt clouds your judgement and transfers to a need to prove yourself to be a good pokémon. You survived the massacre of your entire family on Mount Coronet but you can't remember it or how you survived. You couldn't even recognise the dead – your friends and family. That gives you a huge case of survivor guilt.

"You can't remember who killed your pack and that makes you paranoid. You're suspicious of everyone you meet because there's always the chance they're from Insurgence. This stops you from really getting close to anyone even though you desperately want some reassurance and comfort.

"Your hatred of me shows your obvious self-loathing issues. I am you in almost every way." He split into an amused grin at this point but it quickly vanished. "The fact that you can't stand my presence only reinforces how much you secretly hate yourself for everything you've done and everything you can't remember doing.

"This also explains your dislike of Sam; the two of you are so alike that you project your own self-loathing onto him. You're both kind, friendly and protective of the people you care about. You both have a tendency to be completely oblivious. You're both willing to risk your safety for the sake of others and you both try to relieve the suffering of others whenever possible.

"But you can also be incredibly cold and ruthless. If someone puts you in a difficult position or if someone angers either of you then they're pretty much declared dead to the both of you. You both have a dark side that you don't want to acknowledge. The only main differences between you and your trainer are your species, circumstances and the fact that your dark side has conversations with you." M smiled smugly at me, proud of his insightful speech about my apparent insecurities. I stared at him for the longest time, my expression blank.

"You're wrong," I finally said, and walked away. I could hear him laughing behind me. I knew he didn't believe me. I wasn't even sure I believed it myself. The others finally came into view and I wandered over to Alice.

"Where were you?" she asked. I sighed and tried to ignore M's sniggering.

"I don't want to talk about it," I replied. "I will _never _want to talk about it."

(-#-)

**Cassie**

I let out a sigh of relief as I stepped out of the crushingly claustrophobic cave and into fresh air. Sam stepped out with me and the other pokémon trailed after us. Most of the group shared my relief though Seth looked indifferent and Camazotz looked…the same as always. It was impossible to tell what someone like that was thinking.

"Which way is Solaceon Town?" Sam asked as he let go of my hand. I felt a twinge of disappointment which I banished immediately. I cleared my throat and looked around. The area directly around the cave exit was paved with concrete like the other side but as the concrete faded away thick groves of trees took its place.

"It should be that way," I said, pointing in a direction that seemed right according to the map. "But I can't tell with all the trees in the way." Sam nodded and turned back to the pokémon as he retrieved his pokéballs. My lip curled as I did the same and we returned the pokémon. We had discussed it in the tunnel and I knew he didn't want to attract more attention after what happened in Veilstone. It made sense that we should keep the pokémon returned in urban areas. It made sense, but I didn't have to like it.

"Come on," Sam said as we walked away from the tunnel that was now one-way. We had spent the entire day wandering through the tunnel and the sun was already beginning to set. It stained the sky a golden colour that peeked through the thick expanse of trees to cover the ground in a patchwork of light and shade. The scent of grass and flowers wafted and there while there was a chill in the air it was still warmer than I expected.

The trees grew sparser as we walked on – making way for farms and fields. A heard of rapidash grazed in a meadow of green grass as a few people wandered in and out. Simple stone walls and wooden gates separated each field from each other and from the grassy path we walked on. A few farmers looked up and nodded at us as we passed. Sam waved back. There were a good few buildings and houses later on although most of them didn't look inhabited.

"Evenin'," we heard a woman call out. The whole group turned to see a woman riding a rapidash, her figure framed against the setting sun. She dismounted from her rapidash and sauntered over to us. "Ya'll trainers?" She was a big woman up close but she had a warm and friendly demeanour. Tears and patches adorned her worn blue overalls and big leather boots came up almost to her knees. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail and slung over her shoulder. She looked quite young but the lines around her eyes betrayed an older age.

She had a thick country drawl that made it difficult to understand her. I had to really concentrate to realise what she was saying. Sam seemed to find it easier to understand but he had lived in Sinnoh his whole life. Sam nodded in reply to her question.

"We're trying to get to Solaceon," he said. "Do you know how far it is?" The woman nodded.

"Ya'll here already." I frowned and turned around to see what apparently was Solaceon Town. It looked more like Solaceon Manor.

"As the mayor o' this here town," the woman said, "I'd like to welcome ya'll to Solaceon. All us here goin' to do our best t' make sure you get a nice stay here and you ain't wanting for anythin'."

Sam smiled warmly and introduced us, unperturbed by her thick accent.

"My name's Sam Jacobs," he said cordially as I did my best to avoid being noticed. "This is Cassie Gunn. She's not great with people so don't expect much from her." I shot him an embarrassed glare and he smiled back. The mayor chortled.

"Name's Sadie Grant," she said, offering a hand. Sam took it and shook hands warmly. "Come on: I want t' show ya'll th' town." She headed off walking and we both followed her. I looked around. As I did so, there didn't seem to be much to see. Solaceon Town just looked like a small village with more farms than actual houses. There were a lot of derelict and abandoned buildings scattered around – boarded up and covered with graffiti. In between them were small wooden houses with big gardens. It reminded me a little of Floroama Town except smaller and with a sense of old, quiet sadness. Maybe it was the closeness of the Ruins, hidden from view by the trees, or maybe it was all the broken houses and the obvious fact that the town must have shrunk to less than half its original size.

"No offense," Sam said, looking around and feeling the same, "but it looks like this place has seen better days." Sadie – or was it Ms Grant – sighed. She stopped and leaned against the railing of a house. Her eyes took on a wistful expression as she remembered better times.

"You're right o' course," she said. "Used t' be, Solaceon was one o' th' biggest towns in Sinnoh. Then everythin' went t' hell after Galactic. People didn't want t' stay in a small town. They were scared – they wanted security. Everyone started movin' t' th' cities. Most went to Hearthome or Pastoria. Nobody wanted t' get caught up in th' shit storm o' Veilstone.

"With half th' people leavin', th' town lost all business. Th' headquarters o' th' biggest regional newspaper closed down. Couple years back even th' pokémon centre shut down – weren't no trainers passin' through anymore. Then just this year th' damn ghosts drove th' Day Care away. Now we're left as a tiny town with no business. You know what we do got? A dole office. Half th' townsfolk are unemployed." She sighed.

"O' course here I am boring y'all with economy talk. I s'ppose you'll be wantin' someplace to sleep. M'fraid you'll have t' stay with me since we ain't got no centre. Hope you don' mind." I was a little apprehensive about staying in a stranger's house but there wasn't any other option. I glanced at Sam and it was obvious he felt the same. Then he spoke up about something else.

"Could you go back to the part about the ghosts?" he asked. She snorted bitterly.

"Ain't surprisin' you ain't heard," she said. "After all, the League don' care 'bout some backwoods town's ghost problem." I was beginning to think everyone is Sinnoh was bitter towards the government.

"What exactly happened?" Sam asked. Sadie's expression darkened.

"Ya'll heard o' the Lost Tower?" she asked. I shook my head. Sam looked like he was trying to remember but eventually did the same. "Son'a'bitch! This is why we need a better education system. Get some knowledge in t' ya'll heads." She shook her head and explained.

"Used to be, th' Lost Tower was th' centre o' burial for th' whole region. People came from all 'round t' pay their respects and t' pray for the dead. Times have changed, o' course, but th' Tower remains as a symbol o' mortality and respect for th' dead." She scowled. "It also happens to be one o' th' biggest habitats for ghost pokémon in Sinnoh.

"Used t' be, we never had a problem with 'em. 'Til recently that held up. O' course th' Tower got some new arrivals there almost a year back. A couple o' powerful ghosts started stirring everythin' up. They all got rowdy and started raidin' th' town. Drove most folks away."

"How many are there?" Sam asked.

"We only ever seen 'round twelve o' 'em bastards." She shook her head, partly in sorrow, partly in rage. "They got th' whole town terr'fied o' goin' outside anymore. Once night comes we all board up th' windows, lock th' doors and stay inside 'til mornin' comes. We'd have sorted it out ourselves but we ain't got no powerful trainers. Besides…" She paused and looked ashamed. "A while back another trainer tried t' sort it out. Cocky son'a'bitch stayed here a few days and got convinced he could sort it out by himself. Waltzed right up t' th' Tower and…he didn't come back." She shook her head and waved us along as she started walking again.

"That ain't for ya'll to worry 'bout, though," she said. After another couple of minutes walking we came to a small house near the southern edge of the town. Like the others it was simple, homely and covered with dark wood. Trees and flowers covered every available space and the garden covered more space than the houses around it. An ambipom peeked out from the branches of a tree but Sadie shooed it away and it scampered into a neighbouring house.

The mayor sauntered over to her front door and pulled out a slightly rusted key from her pocket, giving the door a push open after unlocking it. The three of us walked inside and Sadie flicked on the light switch by the door to illuminate the interior.

The inside of the house was as homely as the outside. It was very small and the kitchen was too cluttered for my liking. The living room was filled with worn furniture and family photographs covered the walls. Sadie motioned for us to sit down and we planted ourselves on the couch. It was surprisingly comfortable though there were some holes in the fabric. Sadie closed the door behind us, locking it and leaving the key.

"Now, I ain't got no central heatin' at th' moment," she said, making my heart sink, "and th' insulation's shit. But just be sure t' keep the door closed and it prob'ly won't get too cold."

"Thanks for letting us stay here," Sam said gratefully, speaking for both of us.

"Ain't nothin'," Sadie replied dismissively as she wandered over to the kitchen and filled an old-looking kettle with water as she put it on for boil. "Ain't nowhere else for ya'll to stay. Besides, it's been a little lonely for me lately." She poured three cups of tea and placed them on the table, bringing over a bottle of milk and a bowl of sugar as well. She sat down, slumping into the worn-looking armchair with a satisfied sigh. The lines on her face seemed to lessen as she fiddled with the wedding band on her finger and took a deep slurp from her tea cup.

"M'husband Bob – bless his soul – died from cancer 'bout a while back and m'daughter Beth's trainin' t' be a doctor in Hoenn." She paused and gave a sad smile. "It's nice t' have some company 'round here for once." I wasn't sure what to say so I just focused on drinking the tea. I had put a little too much sugar in it so it was slightly sweat but I drank it anyway. Sam just smiled and nodded at Sadie.

"One of ya'll can stay in Beth's room but th' other'll have t' sleep down here," she said.

"I'll do it," Sam volunteered. "Cassie can take the room." Sadie laughed heartily with her entire body.

"I love a gentleman," she said. She got up abruptly and walked over to the kitchen, returning with a small cookie jar shaped like a kitten. "Here, have a cookie."

"I want a cookie!" I exclaimed without thinking, immediately regretting it as I flushed in embarrassment. Sadie just laughed again and gave us both two chocolate-chip cookies. They tasted absolutely delicious. They were almost worth the detour. Almost.

(-#-)

**Atrum**

I was pulled from the blissful serenity of my dreams by someone shaking me. At the same time I heard a taunting, sarcastic voice in my ear.

"Atrum! Someone's shaking you awake!"

"Shut up!" I mumbled half heartedly at M before drowsily opening my eyes to find Sam staring down at me. "What is it?" I paused to give a huge yawn, arching my back and stretching out my two front paws as I did so. "I'm sleeping." Morning hadn't arrived yet and the house was dark save for a flashlight in Sam's hand. He held it down to the ground to limit the amount of light that might alert someone else in the house. He had a determined expression on his face. I knew that expression and immediately realised what he was going to say.

"We've got to help these people," he told me. I paused only momentarily as I remembered M's words in the tunnel. I put it out of my mind and nodded.

"Okay," I said, wresting my tired legs from under me and getting to my feet. Sam nodded too. Some people have suggested that I perhaps wasn't as overly fond of my trainer as I could be. That didn't matter though; there were people and pokémon who needed our help. And we were going to help them.

I jumped to my feet and dismissed all feelings of tiredness as I marched over to Rose and gently tapped him with the edge of my claw.

He frowned and groaned, rolling over so he was flat on his face. He waved one flower-hand in a dismissive gesture and mumbled something I couldn't understand. Sam was trying to rouse Tempest by kicking him gently.

"Come on, Rose," I told the roselia. "Sam's doing his hero complex thing again." He groaned.

"As if Floroama wasn't bad enough." He stood up unsteadily and stumbled over to Sam. I watched him stifle a yawn as he did so. He looked up at Sam.

"I understand that you have this compulsive need to help everyone you meet but couldn't this have waited until morning?" he asked. "Preferably until after breakfast."

Sam stopped where he was and fell silent. Seth, Tempest, Rose and I all stood before him and waited for the others to arrive. I frowned and looked around.

"Is this our whole team?" I asked aloud. "Is this all we have without Cassie?" The others nodded.

"I thought Camazotz was on Sam's team," Rose wondered. Tempest shook his head.

"No, our dear fellow golbat is a member of Cassie's team," he answered. Rose looked thoughtful, as if he hadn't considered the possibility of separation in the group.

"Huh," he muttered to himself. "Who knew?" As we left and Sam closed the door behind us, I paused for a moment. I leaned over and tilted my head so I could catch the door handle with my scythe. Pulling down abruptly, the door creaked open. Happy with my work, I trotted after Sam and the rest of the very small team into the cold night air.

"I just know this is a bad idea," M commented.

"It's a terrible idea," I answered, forced to agree with my subconscious. "But what else can we do?"

(-#-)

**Cassie**

The cold woke me. I opened my eyes to a strange room and panicked slightly before I reminded myself where I was. A chilly draft flowed over me and I shivered. As I blearily opened my eyes, I groaned and pushed the warm covers off me. I tried not to stumble as I wandered out the door and down the hall. Feeling the cold with every movement, I walked towards the front door. It was wide open and I groaned. I shook from the cold as I pushed it closed and turned to return to the comfort of my temporary room. Something suddenly occurred to me as I looked around the empty living room.

"Where's Sam?" I asked aloud. Then I remembered the door was open. I scowled.

"Goddamn it!"

(-*-)

I trailed through the cold night air, still shivering. Midnight walked by my right and Alice was on my left. Camazotz flew erratically alongside us, beating his enormous wings to keep aloft. I was wearing a few layers of clothing as usual but I was still freezing. It was practically winter time and the cold seemed to attack me from all sides. The dampness the morning air had carried was gone; it wasn't wet, just unbearably cold. I gritted my teeth and quickened my step.

"I'm going to kill him," I said through chattering teeth. "I am _actually _going to murder him." Midnight snorted beside me and Alice leaned in closer for comfort. I glanced up at Camazotz.

"Can you see them?" I asked.

"Go-_ol_batatatat!" he shrieked. I just barely understood he meant it as a no.

"Sneasel!" Alice's cry drew my attention back to her. She was pointing into the distance where several figures could be seen. My scowl grew more pronounced and I yelled out.

"SAM!" I screamed. The tallest figure stopped and turned around. I ran forward and screamed again.

"SAAAAMMMMM!" He held up his hands to try to calm me down as his pokémon looked on with varying displays of interest. I kept running and slammed into Sam, knocking him down so I was on top of him. He blinked in surprise, staring up at me. I grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

"What are you doing?" I screamed at him. "Are you a _complete idiot_? Are you _trying _to kill yourself? Because there are easier ways!" I was breathing heavily from running and my face was flushed. I suddenly remembered I was on top of him and stood up so he could get to his feet.

"I thought I could get back before you woke up," he said, somewhat apologetically.

"That's your excuse?" I asked in furious disbelief. He shrugged and I yelled out in frustration.

"Do you honestly not believe that you are doing something so incredibly stupid that…that…" I trailed off, unable to think of a suitable ending that would properly convey what an idiot he was being.

"The town needs our help," he said pointedly. I waved my hand in the direction of Solaceon.

"That's not our town!" I retorted. "We've only been here a few hours and you're already risking your life!"

"Sadie said there were only twelve ghosts-"

"No, she said only twelve ghosts had been_seen_!" I interrupted Sam's ridiculous arguments to try and inject some sort of sense into his apparently addled brain. "We don't know how many are in the Tower!"

"There can't be so much that they can't be beaten by the pokémon." He waved his hands to show the others. None of them looked very enthusiastic. Rose just looked sleepy.

"What about the other trainer that disappeared?" I asked.

"We don't know that he was stronger than us!"

"Oh, so it's _us _now?"

"Why won't you let me help them?" Sam asked in desperation.

"Because you have to learn!"

"Learn what?"

"Learn that you can't help everyone! You can't protect everyone! And if you don't realise that soon you're going to crash and burn!" I waited for Sam to reply but he didn't. "Are you even paying attention to me?" I frowned. Sam had gone pale and was staring over my shoulder. The other pokémon seemed distracted by something behind me too. Frowning, I turned behind.

I froze.

My blood ran cold and I took a step back as a horrifying cackle sounded. Ghosts poured out from everywhere. They hung from the trees and clambered across the ground. They seeped up from the depths of the mud and crawled out from chasms in the ground. They appeared without warning from the shadows and floated down from the sky. An ocean of ghosts – pulsing back and forth with tides of black and purple. Different colour eyes stared back at us maliciously. Shouts, cries, moans and laughter bubbled through the crowd as it drifted forward.

Tentacles, claws and wings emerged from various different-sized ghosts. They all had the same glow in their eyes. I had seen that look in Seth. It was the glimmer of anticipation of pain and torment. They all fixed their eyes on us and laughed. The sound combined the eerie chuckles, the shrieking cackles and the low booming laughter of all the ghosts.

"That's more than twelve," Sam finally muttered. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak in the face so much fear.

I yelled out as a cold hand grasped my ankle. I stumbled back into Sam's arms as something rose up from the earth, accompanied by a hideously ominous groan. The ground seemed to shimmer as something emerged from the earth. Wisps of shadow and silvery gales preceded the creature's ascent up through the mud.

It was pitch black but the tattered remains of a grey and silver shawl wrapped itself around its body – twirling around his neck like a mockery of a collar. A faded gold antenna jutted out from the top of its cylindrical head and a single bright crimson eye stared at us like a laser. There were five long and stubby digits on each of its gigantic glove-like hands which he slowly flexed as he continued to rise up.

The ripped fabric of the pokémon's cloak morphed into its body further down – vanished just below his chest. It partially obscured the edges of a golden design on its torso: jagged lines and circles wrinkled together like a horrible crooked smile. The enormous ghost grew thinner near the bottom until the very edges of it darted back and forth before vanishing in a ghostly shimmer. It gave the impression that the ghost was emerging from a crack in the air itself and it had shrunk so that only part of it had gone through.

"What is it?" I whispered, overcome by fear. "What the hell is that?" Sam had gone white as snow and merely shook his head from side to side. I could hear the whimpers and growls from the pokémon behind us.

The ghost towered over us, its red eye shining out brightly. I felt like it was scanning us like a robot. There was no expression in its lack of an obvious face. I had no idea what it was thinking. It just floated in the night sky staring at us and it terrified me.

We all flinched back as it raised one gargantuan arm and pointed a finger towards us. Its red eye never stopped staring in our direction. I blinked in sudden comprehension.

"I…I think it's challenging us." I said aloud. Sam gulped.

He looked down at Atrum.

"Atrum?"

(-#-)

**Atrum**

I looked up at Sam.

"Yeah?" He gulped again, loudly.

"Help." I nodded and stepped forward. I briefly looked back at the others. They looked as apprehensive as I felt.

"Anybody know what that is?" I asked, masking my terror as best I could.

"Satan?" Seth put forward. Even he looked scared, lurking close to Sam and never taking his eyes away from the undead legion before us.

"Dusknoir," Camazotz muttered. "One of the strongest ghost types ever." He shook his head and laughed nervously. "We gonna die, man. We gonna fuckin' die!" He abruptly broke down into tearful cackling and tumbled to the ground. Cassie ran over to him.

"Camazotz!" Rose yelled as he and Tempest rushed over. "Are you okay?" I gulped and looked up at the ghost. It looked like a robot from the depths of hell. I stared at it and it locked eyes with me and I and I and I and I AND I AND I_AND IIIIIIIIIh S'M s _infernal whispers filled my mind with shouts and pleas for help _uNp72l _they said so much and their voices were filled with so much pain _yu[r9RWE _I felt compelled to help them and I tried to reach out but I couldn't _o[e3E-G S o3i98u_

_Ora54 _they weren't here _30\fa93o ArsvG _they were somewhere else.

They were…somewhere else.

The dusknoir groaned. No, that doesn't describe it. He wrenched his gaze away from mine and ruptured out an earthquake of noise as the twisted caricature of his abdomen slid open. My eyes widened I stared inside and witnessed the blackness of another world.

The dying scream of a tortured man. The howling wind in the dead of night. The deafening crash as a home collapses. The dancing flickers of a city aflame. A hurricane of warped moans and cries. All things dark and horrible were contained within that noise.

But there were other things. The clear rising vowels of a baby's laugh. The admittance of love in the pouring rain. The pain-free laughter of a group of friends. The sounds of music and happiness and joy and love.

It was a strange, contradictory noise that combined the best and the worst of everything in life. I heard it and I heard everything that came with it. Voices, whispers that called out to me. They were lost. They were lost souls. I had no idea what it was or what it meant but it scared me and drew me in at the same time.

"Atrum!" The voice that banished the noise of the other place was all too real. I turned to M and saw his look of confusion and anger. And I realised: he couldn't hear it. So I turned back to the dusknoir and I saw him level his gaze at me. And I realised: neither could he. He was deaf to the sounds that were inherent to his very existence.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked him. His red eye narrowed to a slit and he gave another terrible lurch of sound as he moved forwards. Despite his enormous stature he glided seamlessly through the air like he was slicing it with a knife. He flexed one hand and pulled it up sharply. The movement slowed like he was really pulling something heavy up into the air.

Spectral wisps gathered around his hand and swirled around as he slowly wrenched his humungous hand up. They turned a ghostly purple-black colour and seemed to emit an eerie light that warped the world around it and revealed shadows I didn't notice were there. The dusknoir moved with a sudden jolt and twisted his hand in front of him – firing the ball of shadows at me. It flew through the air with a screech. I'm not using metaphors here either – it was a real scream.

The shadow ball didn't hit me with a great deal of actual momentum but I felt the energy seep into me upon contact. The ectoplasmic wisps burrowed into my side and wriggled around within my before they dissipated. I grimaced and erupted into spasms, clawing at the spot where I had been struck and trying to get rid of the feeling. I felt like death had attacked me.

"Stop whining and get up!" M shouted, marching over to me and glaring into my eyes. "It was a ghost move! It couldn't have hurt that much!" Though I knew my double spoke the truth I had a tough time believing it when I was lying on the ground in agony. I knew that attack had hurt far more than it should have. I heard Sam's frantic orders and for once I tried to listen.

For the first time since my battle in Veilstone, I called up a razor wind and-

I felt the strain of a pounding headache as my control over my attack slipped. The beginnings of a whirlwind faded into nothing and a light breeze was all that remained. I collapsed and tried to focus on something other than my pounding head.

"What's happening?" I cried out, panicked and scared and not sure what was wrong. M looked just as panicked and unsure though rage tinted his expression.

"I don't know!" he yelled back. "Just get up and battle!" I didn't get the chance to do anything else before the dusknoir slammed his monstrous fist into me and knocked me back. He moved through the air and I saw the air shimmer and rip apart at the seams at the bottom edges of the ghost.

I got up for a quick attack but my muscles roared out in protest and I fell as soon as I got going. The dusknoir swiped me away and fired another shadow ball which made me scream in pain. Desperate, I turned to M.

"Help me," I pleaded.

M turned to me and scowled – an ugly sneer that distorted his pristine face into something malicious and spiteful. His red eyes narrowed and darkened to become two blood red slits. The air around him seemed to rupture and blur until the absol was the most striking object in my field of vision.

His body seemed to change despite remaining the same; like I had approached him from another angle. The horns and scythes adorning him gleamed with sharpness and the gems became cloudy and dark. His relaxed stance became tense and angered as he fixed his gaze upon me. His mouth opened and he spoke the whispers of a hundred thousand voices – all telling me to _get up _to _fight _to _win _to _KILL THEM ALL!_

_Ghosts, _they whispered full of rage and hatred. _They are easily overwhelmed by the darkness… Use our power…! Vanquish them from this world…!_

I heard M's whispers in my mind as usual but I didn't have the strength to obey them.

"I can't," I choked out. What little energy I had was quickly diminishing. I could feel all my power and will drain out of me. I felt the deathly cold grasp of a huge glove-like hand close around my throat and hold me to the ground. The taunting, crooked golden smile on the dusknoir's torso was all I could see when I gazed up at the dusknoir. I stared up at the false face of the ghost and despaired. I heard Sam's voice briefly yell out.

"Seth, smokescreen!" The persistent whispers of that other place rose up again as the ghost closed his fingers around my neck.

Smoke and darkness overwhelmed me and the last thing I saw was M's furious, disbelieving glare.

(-#-)

The rest of the group was quickly overwhelmed. With Atrum unconscious the others couldn't stand against the army of ghosts. Seth and Midnight fought for longer but the endless assaults defeated them and they joined the others in unconsciousness. The dusknoir flitted over and placed his hands on the heads of Sam and Cassie. They dropped to the ground and lay there unmoving. The enormous ghost pokémon picked them up and slung them over his shoulders. Various other ghosts gathered up the others. An entire gang was needed to lug the heavy slowpoke away.

Someone watched all this from a distance, concealed in a thick grove of bushes long after the smokescreen had faded. They watched the last of the pokémon fall to the combined power of the undead legion. They watched as the ghosts gathered the group of people and pokémon away. They watched as the troupe made its way towards the Lost Tower.

Alice watched. And she gulped.


	26. Ossification

_Beta-Reader: The Waffle19_

* * *

**Chapter 26: Ossification**

* * *

**Alice**

"Okay." The moon shone down almost ethereally to cast its whitish glow on the earth. The cold wind blew – to no effect. Everyone was inside. Well, almost everyone.

"Okay." The thick groves of the surrounding dark green vegetation seemed to grow so high as to be impassable. At the same time it seemed such a flimsy defence against what I knew was on the other side.

"Okay." I paced back and forth, alternating between tugging on the feathers of my head and wringing my hands. I stopped and took a deep breath. I hoped it would slow the frantic beating of my heart as I stood walked back and forth behind a bush. Breathing slowly didn't work.

"Okay," I muttered for the millionth time. "Calm down, Alice. They're going to be fine. You're going to be fine. Everything's going to be fine." Saying the words aloud seemed to help placate my overwhelming panic. I sat down on my haunches and thought.

"Okay, think now. You're friends are all captured by an army of ghosts and now they've been locked up in a graveyard tower. You're outside with no help whatsoever from anyone." I paused. "And you're talking to yourself which probably means you're going a little crazy. But that's okay because…because…"

"Because you're not alone…" I jumped, startled by the sudden strange voice that no doubt preceded a strange pokémon.

"Who's there?" I asked, as loudly and confidently as I could manage.

"A friend you haven't met yet," came the reply. This time it came from a different direction and I jumped again. I twisted my head back and forth to try and see where the deep, baritone voice was coming from. The trees and bushes obscured my view of everything on the other side.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"Behind you." I turned and fell backwards in surprise. A pokémon rose up above and stared down with a mildly amused smirk on his thin mouth. Enormous, green and serpentine he towered above me like a tree. Scales like leaves covered almost his whole body and varied in hue. Golden tendrils coiled themselves tightly around his curled emerald body to form a crown of jagged leaves. Foliage protruded from the gaps between his scales and the edge of his tail turned viridian as it transformed into a small tree.

He held his head up high as he surveyed me with red eyes. His tail swung gently back and forth and he seemed so calm and elegant. But that wasn't what unnerved me. He was powerful. Maybe more powerful than any other pokémon I had met. He could defeat me without effort – without having to even move. And there was a coldness to his eyes that I didn't like. I gulped.

"Who are you?" His smile grew slightly more pronounced.

"My name is Cedric," he told me. "And I'm here to help."

(-#-)

**Sam**

I opened my eyes to darkness. A dank and musty smell and a feeling of claustrophobia alerted me: there was a bag over my head. The cloth was musty and I felt my hands tied behind my back. Drowsiness faded away and the hard cold stone of the floor became apparent. I mumbled something and heard a reply.

_Lllaaaaassssssss…_

There was a sound I can only assume was a laugh though it just sounded like a crackle. I winced from the shrill reverberation – like nails scraped against a blackboard. There was obvious glee in the cackle and it made my skin crawl. I shivered without meaning to and I drew the attention of whatever had laughed.

_Lllllllaaaaaaaaassssssssssss sss…_

It sounded again but this time it was far worse. It was closer now and I could hear it much better than I ever wanted to. It was like glass shattering and it had an eerie quality that was difficult to discern. The creature drew it out agonisingly long. Even when it stopped I could hear it in my mind like a dream half-remembered or song that wouldn't go away.

_Lllaaaaaaaaassssssssss…_

The voice drew closer and with it came the cold. A freezing wave of cold enveloped me and I actually gasped from the shock of it. The terrifying cackle sounded for a third time and I found myself squirming and turning my head from side to side. The cloth was still around my head and the darkness meant I couldn't see anything. My imagination went wild and conjured up images of the source of the cold, harrowing laugh. Then the bag was yanked off my head and I saw the truth was much worse.

I stared into the pale dead eyes of frozen skeleton, floating just off the ground. Its horrible skull was twisted back into a point at the end of its head and several large icicle blades jutted out from its head. Pale blue blotches marred the white of its bony exterior. A tattered ribbon soaked in dried blood coiled itself around the creature – tied at the back in a bow. Its body narrowed sharply and then lengthened to look like a dress. But instead of fabric that scraped the floor it was a canvas of bones: various sized fingers and claws in various stages of decay. Some of them were undeniably human and only half the size of my own. The same thing could be seen on its arms as they flared out near the ends.

Holes in the skull revealed a patchwork of purple skin that flaked off in some places and would have disintegrated long ago if not for the fact that it was entirely frozen. I could see the still veins beneath its glaciated skin. The cold it emanated was incredible. I could feel myself growing numb as I choked out rasps of breath that could be seen in the air. I shivered madly and watched the pokémon. It moved with inhuman grace. It was the icing on the cake of the twisted caricature of beauty. The ghost drew back slightly and took a deep breath as she prepared to exhale.

A strange rumble interrupted the pokémon. The purple lips inside the skull curved into a scowl and it floated into the fog towards the source of the noise. For the first time I became aware of my surroundings. I was on my knees in a wide open room. Rows upon rows of graves were strewn around – covering the floor but for a few pathways and a clearing in the centre. A thin layer of fog made everything farther than the clearing impossible to see. The fog made everything that much more frightening – especially since I couldn't identify its source.

I was on my knees in the middle of the clearing – the only segment of the area that wasn't covered with old graves. My hands were tied behind my back and the roped dug into my wrists. The pokémon were nowhere to be seen. I looked around and spotted Cassie behind me. My heart almost stopped when my eyes reached her pale and unmoving figure. She was lying on the ground with her hands tied as well. Her mass of black hair was strewn around and shielded her face. I shuffled over to her on my knees and tapped her with an elbow.

"Cassie!" I said. My voice sounded just as frightened and panicked as I felt. "Cassie! Wake up!" She groaned and I let out a sigh of relief. I brushed the hair from her face and her eyes opened to look at me.

"Where are we?" The familiar hiss sounded and I grew cold once more. Cassie sat up instantly. Her wide eyes scanned the area. We both jumped when we heard a cackle from the depths of the surrounding fog. Laughs and shrieks emerged from the fog. Cassie and I both trembled with fear. I could hear her heart beat loud and fast and close to me. She leaned in to me and fumbled with her binds to try to grab my hand.

Every shadow that seemed still before now moved and twisted. The fog warped into shapes and the darkness leaped out at us. The fear was immense and unrivalled. The few fragmented thoughts I could conjure up were all preoccupied with the prospect of impending death.

I slowly looked down at Cassie, her head resting against my shoulder with her black hair acting as a sort of pillow. She slowly turned her gaze back up to me. Her eyes glittered with an emerald colour – framed by the jet black of her hair. Two radiant cloudy-green spheres. I never realised how much I loved her eyes before that moment. Not just her eyes. Everything about her. Her bushy, perpetually curved eyebrows. Her pale lips and thin mouth – so often a scowl that when a smile emerged it was almost magical and lingered on her round face and high cheekbones. The dark, creamy complexion of her skin. Everything.

She locked eyes with me and the moment seemed to last a lifetime. She opened her mouth slightly as if to speak but no words emerged. She just continued to gaze up at me with her mouth half open and her eyes wide. The moment seemed like it would never end.

But inevitably, it did.

The skeletal ice-ghost wandered out of the fog before us and threw up her arms. She screamed once more to the ghosts in the fog.

"Froslass!" Cassie shrieked. I blinked, suddenly remembering the name and feeling the fear return. The twisting of shadows grew worse as the legion of ghosts emerged from the far corners of the area – the fog trailing after them. There were so many of them and the fog hid their features. I saw the golden gleam of cofagrigus and the eerie flickers of litwick and lampent but the rest were too difficult to make out. The froslass turned obviously led them.

I heard the same monstrous rumble from earlier and the dusknoir glided out into view. He carried something in his hands that was almost as big as he was. He set it down in the middle of the clearing in front of us and wandered back into the fog. I glanced at the object. A stone sculpture looked down at me. It was a crudely fashioned effigy of a ghost. It was chipped and broken in places but otherwise it didn't look too old. It was enormous and had been carved from black stone with crystals embedded within it. One arm was flung up like a shield while the other was held out as if it was telling something to stop. The face was barely-discernible beyond the vague look of terror it encapsulated.

I jumped back as the eyes flashed a dark purple colour. The dusknoir returned from the fog for a second time and once more he carried something. It looked far smaller and lighter than the ghost statue. He set it down beside the froslass and it was only when Cassie tensed up and let out a gasp that I realised it was a person. The froslass pulled off a small burlap sack off his head to reveal his features.

I blinked, focusing in on the figure on his knees before us. His clothes had been reduced to tattered fragments and bruised skin peeked through. He was pale, thin and smelled horrible. Greasy blonde hair hung limply down across his stained face. He was filthy and beaten – a shadow of the boy I had met but the resemblance was too strong to ignore. I blinked again and leaned forward.

"You?" I asked in disbelief, my voice rising in pitch at the end of the word. The boy tilted up his head and stared at me. His eyes were wide and I saw fear in them unlike anything else I had seen. The friendly arrogance I had seen in him before was gone and petrifying terror had replaced it. Cassie frowned as she shifted her gaze between the two of us, obviously confused. I paid no attention to her and kept my eyes on the trainer before me. He looked into my eyes.

"Sam!" yelled Jesse Filligan, his eyes wide and his voice hoarse. "Save me!"

(-#-)

**Alice**

There were four of them guarding the entrance. A lampent leaned against a wall while two drifloon tossed a rock back and forth to each other. A yamask paced back and forth impatiently through the air.

"Man, I can't believe we got stuck on guard duty," he whined. "This sucks!" He turned to the others. "Don't you think this sucks?"

"I'm thinking you're annoying," the lampent replied.

"I just can't believe we're stuck outside with what's happening inside the Tower," the yamask persisted.

"You don't even _know_ what's happening inside the Tower."

"No, but I know it's big. They have a statue and everything." One of the drifloon dropped the rock they were tossing. She swore loudly and glared at the yamask.

"Damn it, you made me lose the game!" she yelled.

"I lost the game," the lampent mumbled. The other drifloon looked around nervously.

"Shouldn't we be, you know, actually watching?" he asked. The yamask snorted dismissively.

"Who's stupid enough to attack a graveyard tower full of ghosts in the middle of the night?" There was a long silence. The four ghosts looked around as if they thought something might happen. One of the drifloon scratched the top of her head.

"Huh," she said. "I kind of expected something to happen there…" The other three ghosts nodded vigorously. She shrugged. And that's when we made our move.

The four ghosts frowned and glanced around as the wind picked up suddenly. They started to panic as it got stronger. A whirlwind tore leaves and flower petals from the bushes around them. Roots and thorns were ripped from the ground and closed in. The leaf tornado lacerated the ghosts with grass and thorns before dissipating.

For a few moments the ghosts were in a flurry of confusion after the sudden chaos. I jumped into the air out of the bush and somersaulted above them. I gave a swipe with one claw and ripped the air into a cold front. I leered at the ghosts and fired the icy wind at them as they paused to get their bearings. They yelled out at the pain of the sudden cold. I landed in between them with exact precision. I was close enough to them to see their expressions of irritation and slight panic. They were cautious. They knew I was a dark pokémon. I had the type advantage. Then again, they were stronger and there were four of them. They thought they could beat me.

But I thought they were wrong. And I intended to prove it.

I yelled out in fury and slashed madly at the nearest ghost. My claws raked the female drifloon's dry and dusty skin. The lampent rushed in but I swivelled and grabbed him as he moved. The heat of his flame was cold and painful. I could hear it whisper to me for the brief moment I held the ghost. I grabbed the lampent's hand and swung him like a lasso over my head. I kept swirling him around and ignoring his cries.

"I'm getting dizzy!" he screamed. The male drifloon rushed at me and I waited until he was close. I narrowed my eyes and timed it perfectly in my head. Then I let go.

The lampent fired through the air and smashed into the drifloon – erupting into a burst of flame that enveloped the balloon and made him screech. Bathed in bluish flames, the drifloon yelled and stumbled around in panic. The yamask avoided his burning companion and rushed at me but I was ready. He swiped at me with one shadowy tendril but I ducked beneath him and dealt him a vicious scratch from below. He grunted and attacked again.

My ears perked up – alerting me to the other drifloon closing in from behind. I quickly darted to the left and turned to face the two ghosts. They sneered at me as they closed in. The yamask stared at me with his giant red eye. Dark, shifting tendrils warped around the floating eye and the small gold mask that he carried.

The drifloon was bigger. A dry layer of purple skin was draped over a floating sphere. Rips and tears had been repaired by faded linen bandages – laid over each other like crosses in the patchwork of the balloon-shaped creature. The sphere was tied at the bottom by two long strips of muscle with a linen heart on each end. The white mass of fluff on its head only made her two eyes seem darker – like dual black holes in its head.

This would be tricky now. I caught them off-guard earlier but now they were ready. Besides, most of the attacks I knew wouldn't affect them. I jumped forward towards the yamask but feigned at the last moment. I kicked off the mask and turned to slash the drifloon with a faint attack. She yelled out and swerved as the yamask knocked me away.

"I think I need some help!" I exclaimed, regaining my balance.

"No you don't," came the reply from the bushes. The two ghosts paused and looked around for the source of the cry. I used their distraction to my advantage and darted back into the fray. When the two ghosts were looking away I slammed their heads together and kicked them to the ground. The drifloon muttered something but I kicked it silent like the yamask.

When the two ghost pokémon lay unconscious on the ground a rustling in the bushes made me look up. Cedric slithered out into view. He moved with regal grace and calmness as he approached me.

"I told you," he said, coming to a stop and looking down at me. I smiled. A sudden pain caused me to jump as I got a burning feeling in my leg. It was singed when I glanced down at it. I turned to see the remaining lampent floating ominously in the air.

Black and rusted metal had been twisted into the shape of a lantern. Two arms hung loosely from either side of its head. Cracked and cloudy glass surrounded a blue flame and two yellow eyes which stared out at me. It sneered as it approached.

"You ain't nothing but grass and ice types," the spectre taunted us. "And I'm gonna burn you two good." I grew afraid as the lampent drew closer, leaving trails of will-o-wisps as he floated through the air.

"I'd appreciate it if you surrendered," Cedric said calmly. There was no tremor in his voice nor did a change in stance serve indicate some measure of fear. The lampent looked far more powerful than the others and he had the type advantage. The lampent knew it too.

"Maybe if you lie down right now I'll go easy on you," he taunted snidely. "But I can't make any promises so-" Cedric moved lightning fast and his tail shot up into the air. He wrapped it around the ghost and pulled him out of the air. He slammed him into the ground twice – provoking cries of pain with each impact. With a third strike the lampent looked dizzy. The edges of Cedric's tail began to emit a horrid smell and the lampent screeched in agony as thick, dark poison leaked out from between his scales and infested the lampent.

He squirmed and prepared to use a fire attack but Cedric moved first. A metallic gleam began to shine from his otherwise green, leafy skin. The scales around the lampent shimmered as they slowly morphed into steel. The lampent yelled out again as the metal coiled around him and the poison coursed through his body. Cedric raised his tail and tightened his grip. The lampent squealed in agony and let out a flash of fire but it was half-hearted and the steel absorbed the heat. The glass in the ghost shattered and the metal bent inward to crush the ghost further until I could scarcely see him between the iron grip of the snake.

I heard one final tortured scream which rang out horribly loud and seemed to echo in my mind. The mangled lampent vanished along with the last remnants of his dying scream – dissolved into scraps and shadows which themselves dissolved until there was nothing left of the pokémon that had been so real and alive only moments ago.

I stared at the serperior, horrified by what he had done. His look of nonchalance was the worst – like he really didn't care that much.

"You…you killed him," I muttered. Cedric turned to face me with a slightly condescending look.

"That's the thing," he said. Ghosts don't die – they fade."

"I don't understand."

"Ghosts are the pokémon who ought to not be on this earth. They don't technically belong in the mortal realm and they feel forever tied to the world of the dead. All ghosts can hear the voices of the spirits from the next life. It is their bodies and their minds that determine their presence here. But it also determines their lifespan.

"You see, ghosts are like any other creature. While the thought of living forever might seem nice in theory, it's not great in practice. Ghosts grow weary of this life when they are destined to be in another. And thus they begin to fade. Their tether on the world weakens and they go to the spirit realm.

"That's the natural process of aging and dying for them. But with enough pain and enough strength you can destroy the body they have formed. With the body gone, the mind cannot sustain itself and the ghost fades." He looked at me with the piercing stare that exuded might.

"Don't think of my actions as cruel," he told me. "Ghosts are creatures of another world. I merely sent that lampent home. I would never hurt another pokémon unless it was absolutely necessary." I nodded, believing him. After all, he had gone out of his way to help me. He had told me about the cracks in the walls that could be opened to let me inside. He had helped me get this far out of the goodness of his heart. I knew I could trust him. I nodded and he smiled at me. It still didn't look right.

"Come," he said, slithering away from the door. We wanted to remain unnoticed for as long as possible and draw attention away from us. The four- three unconscious ghosts at the entrance would be a distraction and make them think we had gone in the front door. We had other plans.

When we had reached the other side of the Tower, Cedric turned to face the wall. Moss and ivy enveloped the rock as it towered up above. The building looked far bigger up close. It wasn't as big as some of the buildings in the cities but it was still enormous and dominated the landscape. The serperior scrutinised the thick layer of stone with his regal gaze. He smirked. My gaze slowly turned to his tail as he swirled it around. Just the edges of his tail where scales turned to grass. He twirled it in the air and as he did so I began to hear a noise. It sounded like crackling.

A rock fragment shot off the wall and made me duck. I quickly glanced at the Tower to see the ivy had taken on a life of its own. It squirmed like it was alive – growing bigger and burrowing into the surface of the rock like talons ripping into flesh. The ivy tensed and froze as Cedric stopped moving his tail.

"Stand back," he told me. Then he smiled and wrenched back his tail. I rushed behind him just in time to escape the blast.

The thick layers of ivy wrenched back towards us with such power that they ripped a hole in the stone. The wall caved open in a bellowing crash and an upsurge of dust. I coughed and waved it away with a few swipes of my hand. Cedric sniffed but otherwise looked unfazed. He motioned to the chasm in the wall and I leaned forward to peak in. It was pitch dark and I could see a tunnel formed by cracks in the weathered rock. I was surprised that Cedric could do so much damage. I turned to him to show my admiration but he noticed my expression and shook his head.

"The Tower is centuries old and much of it is falling apart," he said. "There are cracks everywhere and sections that have caved in. I just broke through the entrance – the fault lines were already there."

A ghostly chorus of screams suddenly pierced the night air. They emerged from the depths of the Tower and echoed through the schism in the wall. The sound made my hair stand on end. I shivered without meaning to. The screams meant nothing to me but Cedric must have realised what they were.

"It's just like I thought," I heard him say. "They plan to free Revenant." I turned to him with a look of mild confusion.

"What do you mean?" I asked, getting really tired of nothing knowing what he was talking about.

"The ghosts here in the Lost Tower were generally peaceful," he told me. His gaze was still fixed ahead into the darkness of the schism. "They kept to themselves and provided a good-natured challenge to the few human trainers who stop by. They joined in with the funeral processions and kept watch on the graves.

"But when Solaceon began to shrink, the Tower became obsolete. People in the town stopped going there and the ghosts became isolated." He shook his head sadly. "Most ghosts only desire company. Were it not for darks and psychics I would say that they were the loneliest creatures to walk the earth. The lack of company made them restless. And then two more ghosts arrived. Their leader was cursed by a group of powerful pokémon several years ago. Tonight they plan to release him using the fear of the humans as a power source and the tower as an intensifier."

"I…I don't understand."

"For decades, three ghosts have roamed the world causing destruction wherever they go. A froslass, dusknoir and a haunter. They ravaged the regions and killed all who opposed them. A ghostly trio who brought death with them."

"I haven't heard of them."

"Very few have. Ghosts are very good at covering their tracks. Whole massacres have been blamed on human and pokémon when these three did it all. They've gotten good at it. The froslass and dusknoir are old, true, but the haunter is ancient. He's the leader of the trio. At some point during his life he gained the name Revenant.

"The ghosts caused destruction like no other pokémon. But then, over a decade ago, they stopped. The haunter was cursed somehow and the trio ended their reign of destruction." I opened my mouth to interject but he answered my unspoken question.

"I don't know how. No one does. The froslass and dusknoir were attacked and when they finally caught up with Revenant, he had been imprisoned in stone. But ghosts grow more powerful with fear and tonight they plan to use their power to break Revenant free."

"So they took the others… Will their fear be enough on its own?"

"Everyone in Solaceon is scared. Especially considering two very powerful trainers have gone missing from inside the mayor's house. The townspeople will be terrified. Your humans are only the catalyst – just like the first trainer that was taken." He flicked his tail forwards to motion to the cavern in the wall.

"Play to your strengths: move fast and stick to the shadows," he told me. "Now, I don't want anyone to know I was here so I need your word that you won't mention me."

"You're not coming with me?" I asked anxiously. He shook his head.

"I can't be seen to get involved in this," he told me. "You'll have to do this on your own." A wave of panic rose up and I started fiddling with the feathers on my head. The familiar feelings of terror and insecurity overwhelmed me.

"I…I don't know if I can," I mumbled. Without warning, Cedric slapped me across the face with the edge of his tail. It was a light contact but it still bruised me. I yelled out in pain and fell backwards. As I lay on the ground I stared up at the serperior with shock and fear. Cedric shook his head and took on a serious expression.

"I never want to hear you say that again," he told me. "I never want you to think you can't do something. You can do anything you put your mind to. You are strong, smart, fast and determined. And you have a kindness and a compassion that gives you strength. Very few pokémon have that.

"So never believe that you can't do something. Never think that you're not smart enough. Never believe that you're not strong enough. Never even consider for one moment that you're not good enough because let me tell you –youare." He smiled. This wasn't a smile like the ones he had shown before. It was genuine. It was encouraging. It was…proud.

I gulped and swallowed my fears. I took several deep breaths and forced myself to stop shaking. Then I got to my feet and nodded.

"I'm ready," I told him, keeping my voice steady. He nodded back and his tail reached up. The leaves unfurled to reveal a set of keys which he handed to me. "How can I thank you?" He smiled again.

"Just don't tell anyone I was here," he said. I nodded.

"Thank you," I said. "Thank you and goodbye." I turned around and pushed myself into the crack, crawling along inside the wall of the tower. Cedric must have moved away but I heard him say one more thing before he did.

"Don't worry, Alice. We'll meet again…"

(-#-)

**Sam**

"Jesse?" I shouted. "What are you doing here?" He opened his mouth to answer but a shriek of warning from the froslass made him stop. He grimaced and whimpered, trying to retreat into himself. Cassie leaned over to me as the ghosts erupted into shrieks and moans.

"Who is that?" she whispered. I could see the fear in her eyes and hear the tremor in her voice.

"I met him in Oreburgh," I whispered back, trying to keep an eye on the ghosts. "He's the one who gave me my pokédex."

"Oh," she said, sounding relieved, "youdidn'tsteal it." I turned to her and frowned.

"Have you really thought that I did for the last five months?"

"Um…" Another ghostly scream from the froslass drew our attention back to her and the others. She floated over towards us with her ossified dress trailing behind her. Cassie and I winced in unison as we heard the hideous crackling of bones scraped along the cold, stone floor.

She came to a stop and threw up both her arms towards the ceiling. She screamed to the heavens in a petrifying, horrifying wail. The coldness of her existence seemed to seep out of her voice and freeze my body. I could barely breathe from the cold and the fear she exuded. The shrill wailing pierced my ears to add to the pain. Glancing over, I could see Cassie felt the same. Wordlessly, I grabbed her hand and clutched it tightly. She was pale and shaking but so was I.

Suddenly the other ghosts joined the froslass in a terrible unearthly chorus. Whispers, screams, moans and cries all blended together in an infernal crescendo. Throughout it all though, the dusknoir stayed unnervingly silent. Its face remained impassable and it never uttered a single noise as it stared forward eerily.

The froslass grabbed Jesse by his tattered collar and threw him forward at the statue. He landed in a heap next to it and turned his gaze up to fix his wide eyes at the creature. The froslass screamed and raised one bony hand. Jesse screamed. Cassie screamed. I screamed. The froslass brought her claws down.

But not on Jesse. The icy ghost struck the statue and slashed across its face. Jesse scrambled away back to his corner and the froslass slowly took a step back.

The screams of terror and the shrieks of anticipation rose to a crescendo and culminated in a chorus of spectral clamours. There seemed to be a strange sort of energy to it. It was like fear itself had become anthropomorphised in the sound of the screaming. It seemed like it had taken on a physical presence and was giving energy to the ghosts. Looking at the undead pokémon it was obvious that they drew pleasure from this. They seemed to grow bigger and stronger and their smiles grew more pronounced. It only made sense that ghosts drew power from fear. After all, that's all a ghost is – a face you give to something you fear. Take away that feeling and the creature becomes harmless and comical. But at times like these when you truly felt afraid, the ghost was the most powerful thing in the world.

All the pokémon shifted their gazes towards the statue. Cassie, Jesse and I all turned to face it too. Waves of fog and darkness moved forward like tides and seeped into the cracks of the statue. The eyes glowed purple and shattered into fissures. These cracks and fissures spread out from the eyes across the statue like veins. They became more and more numerous until lines of glowing purple covered the entire surface. A hair-raising barrage of muffled laughter emerged from within the stone and then it imploded.

The statue caved into itself and burst outwards again in a cloud of ash and rock. Cassie and I flinched to avoid the dust cloud. The ghosts let out a chorus of delight with the froslass being the loudest. When we turned back we saw the remnants of the statue floating in the air and growing larger with every passing moment. Coils of smoke and poison trailed through the air, gathering wisps of darkness and growing larger as they did so. They mixed in with the dust of the statue and swirled around until a shape started to appear.

The tongue formed first: a dark red tongue that was half solid and half gas at the same time. It twisted and rolled like a blood-stained whip. Flecks of poison dropped from the pointed end and sizzled when they struck the ground. Another horrifying cackle of laughter sounded. The room seemed to stretch out as the tongue pulled the darkness towards it. A rumble noise preceded the ground splitting into cracks beneath the gas and darkness. The stone ground ripped itself apart as wispy talons of gas reached down. Fragments of bone were pulled from the depths and floated up to join the horrible mass.

Poison, gas, bone and darkness gradually began to twist into something resembling a creature. A central body formed. The back of it was cracked and fragmented. Spikes and horns emerged and rippled into gas that constantly drifted away. At the same time, gas and darkness from the surrounding air seemed to rush in and become part of it. The front of the creature split open and warped into a terrifying face. Unequal-sized pupils gazed out from bloodshot eyes. Bones had formed a row of teeth in its gigantic mouth, giving it the appearance of a cage with rotting bones for bars. Two puffs of darkness formed a pair of hands – a mixture of smoke and poison with jagged bones for claws.

The ghost was almost completely jet black. The only colour that distinguished it from the surrounding shadows was its bloodshot eyeballs and an eerie purple-crimson glow that surrounded each of its floating hands. The ghost flexed its hands and rolled in place. It let out a scream which degenerated into a mad cackle that was scarier than anything the froslass had uttered.

"What…" Cassie muttered. "…is that?"

"It's a haunter," I mumbled back.

"That _can't_ be a haunter." But it was. It was a haunter. It was the biggest, most powerful looking haunter I had ever seen.

It rolled its tongue around and twirled in the air. It flexed its newly-formed hands and licked the bones that formed its claws. The haunted cackled once again and flew around the room. Its howling laughter almost took on a life of its own as it soared. Cassie elbowed me lightly and motioned towards the ghosts – still half obscured in the fog. I narrowed my eyes and leaned forward. I could see their expressions change from awe to confusion and fear. They glanced around and muttered to each other. Some shuffled away and others just stood frozen in shock. All the while the haunter laughed and shouted. The froslass seemed pleased and the dusknoir gave no indication of feeling at all but the other ghosts' reactions unnerved me.

"Something's wrong here," I muttered. Cassie nodded. Jesse merely whimpered from the other side of the clearing.

The froslass hissed and drew the haunter's attention back to her. It grinned madly and flew back to draw the froslass and some random shuppet into a fond embrace. The froslass pushed the haunter back and the shuppet quickly scurried away. The froslass pointed at Jesse and provoked a wince from him as she did so. The haunter shouted something else and floated over to go behind Jesse.

It flexed both hands and licked them. There was a mad look in his eyes that only unnerved me more.

Cassie and I both screamed as the haunter slid his hands in through the back of Jesse's skull.

Jesse's head snapped up like a whip and his entire body grew rigid. His eyes flashed a purple glow and he fixed his gaze at an angle above my head. His face was blank and expressionless. When he spoke it was a disturbing combination of Jesse's own voice and the deep, grating noise of the haunter.

_"I am Lord Revenant,"_ the haunter said through Jesse,_ "and I enjoy cookies!"_ I blinked, not sure whether I had heard him right. I slowly looked over at Cassie to see a similar look of confusion.

"Huh?" I asked aloud. The haunter made Jesse stand up abruptly and he started yelling out randomly.

_"I like Lego! Do you like Lego? I made a castle of blocks! That coat is green – I love green! My favourite Lego is green!"_ I wasn't sure what was happening. I was hearing the haunter talk but what I was hearing didn't make any sense. I looked at Cassie and she slowly shook her head as her mouth hung agape.

"What's happening?" I whispered frantically.

"I don't know," Cassie muttered back fearfully.

"Is he doing this on purpose?"

"I don't know!" We both looked back to see the froslass yelling at the haunter. It yelled back something else. I got the feeling she was admonishing it – like you might do to an unruly child and not an enormously powerful ghost. It finally turned its attention back to Jesse and used him to speak again.

_"You will fear us and our flabergelasticism! Flabergelasticism. I invented that word. I did – not you, Steve!"_ One of Jesse's arms flung up and pointed at a ghastly in the crowd._ "By the way, I've decided to call you Steve. That's a good name. It's a flabergelastic name! That's a word I invented, you know. It was me that invented it – not Bob." _Jesse's arm pointed at the same ghastly, now looking confused and embarrassed._ "Incidentally, I have elected to refer to you as Bob."_ Neither one of us were capable of speech at this point. We both just continued to stare at the insane haunter as he used Jesse like a demented puppet.

_"Take off their binds and bring them back to the cell!"_ it commanded._ "And bring me some shawarma! I don't know what it is but I suddenly have a craving for it." _A few ghosts cast panicked glanced at each other before rushing off to obey the ghost's request. Several ghosts immediately rushed over to us as well. They looked eager for any excuse to leave. They led the way into the fog, away from the rest of the ghosts and towards the door.

_"Wait!"_ I grimaced when I heard the disturbing double-speech of the ghost and Jesse. We stopped and I turned around to be confronted by Jesse. His face was expressionless and his eyes had a purple tint. The haunter spoke again.

_"Did you know I invented cheese? I invented cheese, you know?"_ Unsure of what else to do, I nodded slowly. The horrible double-laugh sounded again and Jesse's mouth moved. One half twisted up and the other curled downwards. His chin jutted out and his head tilted to the side. It looked like someone had mangled Jesse's features to try and replicate emotion.

_"This is my smiling face,"_ the haunter said through Jesse. It was one of the most horrifying things I had ever seen.

_"I like you!"_ the haunter yelled before embracing me through Jesse's body. The touch of his skin was ice cold and I had to fight to stop from recoiling. _"You can be my bestest friend ever!"_ It glanced over at Cassie._ "You can be an astronaut."_ It motioned to the unfortunate ghastly again.

_"George!"_ it shouted. _"Book these guests into the finest rooms we have! It's nearly Christmas time and I have to go buy a goose for the servants."_ The two ghosts leading us nodded their heads vigorously and practically pulled us away. The haunter jumped up and down and waved as we left.

(-*-)

"What the _fuck_ is going on?" Cassie paced back and forth with obvious panic. Her wrung her hands anxiously and darted her eyes back and forth across the stone walls of our small and dingy cell-like room. I was sitting on the hard and uncomfortable ground with my knees bent and my back against the wall. My joints were killing me from extended contact with hard surfaces. Every painful throb I felt made me long for a comfy bed to sleep in. Eventually, I answered Cassie.

"We've been captured by a legion of ghost pokémon and the leader thinks he's Scrooge McDuck," I summarised, more for myself than for Cassie. Even having me say it aloud did nothing for her and she continued to pace for a few minutes more. It didn't seem like she could stay still. Her constant fidgeting started to get on my nerves and I grabbed her hand as she passed. With a firm pull from my arm she landed beside me.

"Sit down," I told her, ignoring her glare. "If you keep pacing I'm going to throw something at you." She pursed her lips but didn't quite scowl. She twisted her body beside me to get comfortable and leaned into me. We both sat beside each other with her body curved into mine and we admired the view of the identical stone wall opposite us.

"Sometimes I feel like the universe stores up all the crazy shit that happens and waits for us to pass by so we can deal with it." I nodded, more than willing to agree under the circumstances.

"Where do you think the pokémon are?" she asked quietly. Her concern was clear and I wished I could do something to make things better for her. I wished I could have made her smile. It was always something when she smiled. It was almost magical. But I couldn't change the situation so I just said,

"I don't know. Probably in some other cells – separated."

"I didn't see them take Alice."

"Neither did I. I think she might have escaped."

"I hope she's okay."

"Me too." I felt a shiver and realised it was her. I turned and looked into her wonderful green eyes.

"Are you cold?" I asked. She paused, and then very slowly shook her head.

"Scared," she whispered in a voice that was timid and broken and full of fear. I had never heard her like this. I held her close and didn't say anything else until she spoke again.

"What were you looking at back there?" she asked me. I paused, my heart and my mind both racing. What could I say? What excuse could I use? What could I pass off as the truth?

But why did I even need an excuse? Why did I feel the need to hide my feelings anymore? Whether sue to fear of how she would react or what might happen, I had convinced myself I didn't feel anything for this beautiful, smart, amazing girl who had become my best and only friend.

I slowly turned my head and shifted my body to face her. With two fingers, I slowly tilted her head up to look at me. She gazed into my eyes and I gazed into her own.

"You," I said. Her eyes widened at what I had said. Her mouth opened to argue with me but I gently pressed one finger against her lips. I slowly shook my head as I moved one arm around her waist and pulled her closer towards me. I felt her entire body tense up at first, then shudder slightly as she relaxed. Her black hair fell off her shoulders as she leaned in her head towards me. Her green eyes fluttered and then closed. I closed my eyes as well as we moved in ever closer to each other. No words passed between us; none were needed. It seemed like the very air surrounding us was charged.

And then my lips met hers. Light and apprehensive at first, our kisses became charged and passionate. I pulled her close and she leaned into me. Seconds seemed to drag on into hours of ecstatic delight. I felt the beating of my heart and the beating of hers. I had never felt so scared but at the same time I had never felt so alive. It was like electricity coursing through me. It wasn't my first kiss but it was the first kiss that was filled with so much passion and emotion.

And then, abruptly, she pulled away. She pushed me back and looked at me. She was breathing heavily and her face was flushed.

"I can't," she said. I blinked. I had no doubt that my confusion and frustration showed on my face. She looked away guiltily and toyed with the purple ends of her hair. I stood up and stepped back, running my hands through my hair. I didn't know what to say but I felt embarrassed and ashamed.

"I…" My voice trailed off after I forgot whatever I was thinking of saying. "I-" Something stopped me. A sharp noise reached my ears; like scratching. I turned my attention to the wall and, a moment later, so did Cassie. I frowned and stepped closer – reaching forwards with my hand. My fingers brushed against the cold stone texture. I tapped lightly on it. Then something tapped back.

"Alice," Cassie whispered as she rushed over to the wall. She banged against the wall but I waved her over to me.

"Here," I said. "She's on the other side." She darted over and scratched furiously against the stone wall where Alice was tapping on the other side. I dug my fingernails into the cracks in the rock and dug out pieces. By the end of it our hands were stained with dirt and our fingernails were cracked and broken but we could hear scratches and faint cries from the other side.

A claw broke through the cracked stone and another one followed. They were stained and dirty but that didn't matter to us. They were a beautiful ray of hope in our dank cell. Cassie and I kept pulling out small fragments of dirt and rock. We heard coughing and the sound just encouraged us. I tried to catch Cassie's eye but she just stared forward and didn't look at me. Her face remained neutral. Her eyes were cold.

A whole paw ruptured the rock and eventually a furry black head peaked out. Alice stared at us both with undisguised relief. She smiled and waved at us – her back half still stuck inside the wall. Her dark fur had been stained brown by the dirt and dust. Cassie grabbed out at her sneasel in a frantic gesture. The two of them embraced tightly as Cassie wiped away tears. She actually shook with emotion and relief. Alice was just as emotional and closed her eyes as the two of them held on to each other. I almost felt like I was intruding.

After a few minutes, Cassie sniffled and wiped away tears. She finally regained her composure enough to speak though her voice cracked slightly.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Alice nodded and squirmed her way out of the hole in the wall. She landed gracefully on the floor but wobbled slightly on her feet.

"Can you get us out?" I asked. Alice coughed and brushed away some of the dirt staining her face. I waited for an answer but she didn't give one. Instead, she darted up the wall and grabbed onto the hole in the wall. She reached in with one hand and retrieved a set of old keys on a steel ring. She tossed them to Cassie and grinned when she dropped to the ground. Cassie blinked and let out a burst of laughter before hugging her pokémon again.

"Keys," I muttered, extending my hand. She didn't look at me when she handed me the keys. I felt her fingers brush across my skin and fought not to shudder. I pulled away and jammed the key into the lock of the door. I put aside any feelings I had and banished thoughts of Cassie from my mind. The lock was old and rusty. I gritted my teeth and forced it open. The door stuck a little but gave way when I rammed my shoulder into it. The dull throb of pain I felt in my shoulder kept my focused on the task at hand.

I winced as the door opened with a creaking groan. My hand steadied it and my head slowly peaked out. The hallways seemed empty as I glanced from side to side. Clearly the ghosts didn't think two humans were worth guarding. The thought did nothing to ease my apprehension as I stepped out of the cell. I treaded as lightly as I could and kept my eyes moving to search for any sign of movement. I tried to remember anything about ghosts that could be useful but they were the most uncommon type and I rarely saw them growing up in Celestic. I leaned back inside to where Cassie and Alice were waiting. They looked at me expectantly and I nodded, gesturing them to be quiet as they moved towards me.

Alice led the way through the corridor. It was dank and dark. Cold stone lined every surface but cracks and small collapses were frequent. The floor we were on was filled with rooms just like our cell. I wasn't sure what their purpose was exactly. Some sort of prayer room perhaps? They were all empty so far but I reasoned that the other pokémon must be in them somewhere.

Alice stopped suddenly. I saw her ears perk up. Cassie kneeled and leaned in to her, giving her a questioning look. The sneasel paused, then pointed forward and began walking again. We descended a stone staircase and emerged on a lower floor – roughly the same as the previous one with more rooms. After a few moments of walking I realised what had made Alice stop. Constant roars and growls echoed from one of the rooms – the closest one to us. I stepped forwards and slowly walked over to it. I could feel extreme heat from inside the cell. I flinched back as a sudden blast of fire seeped out from the sides of the door. There was a pause and a rattle of the lock before the furious snarling resumed. I tapped lightly on the door and heard a loud growl. I rolled my eyes.

"Seth," I hissed. "Seth, it's me!" The snarls vanished and I heard a more curious growl.

"Char?"

"I'm opening the door," I told my charmeleon. "Don't attack me when I do." I fiddled with the keys and tried a few in the lock. Seth growled impatiently from within.

"You want to stay in there?" I asked him. There was no reply. The very last key worked and the door opened with a jerk. Seth stood in the centre of the cell with his arms folded and a smug expression on his face.

"Come on," I told him.

"The others are all here too," Cassie mumbled as I approached her. With Seth silenced I could hear the others more clearly. Midnight growled from another cell and Camazotz cackled madly. The sound of it made me shiver and I wondered if we could maybe leave him in here.

"Sneasel!" Alice's cry drew our attention to her. She did some hand motions and gave a few more cries. I stared at her blankly and a quick glance to Cassie showed me that she didn't understand either. Seth grunted at Alice and she replied to him. They both turned to us and paused, trying to figure out a way to get their message across. Seth suggested something and Alice considered it. She mimed falling over.

"Atrum!" Cassie and I cried in unison. Seth sniggered and Alice nodded. I frowned.

"He's not here?" I asked. Another nod from the pokémon. "Where is he?" Cassie took the keys from me and turned to Midnight's cell.

"One thing at a time."

(-#-)

**Alice**

"You got inside by yourself?" I heard Seth ask beside me. I turned to the charmeleon. My promise to Cedric echoing in my mind, I nodded. Seth gave me a strange look in reply. He pursed his lips and growled thoughtfully. I couldn't tell what he was thinking and he stared at me for a long time without saying anything.

"Good work," he finally said. I blinked. This was the first time I had gotten a compliment from the fire type. I heard Midnight approach as her cell door swung open. She smiled as she walked over to me and licked me affectionately.

"I'm proud of you," she said. I flushed with pride. The others joined us as our trainers released the rest of the pokémon. Rose looked petrified and the colour had drained from his face entirely.

"Are you okay?" I asked him. He frantically shook his head from side to side.

"Wonderful to see everyone in good health," Tempest commented jovially. Sam turned to Midnight.

"Can you track Atrum?" he asked. Midnight shook her head.

"He's got no scent," she replied. "I can't track him." They might not have understood the exact reason but they knew Midnight couldn't do it. Sam groaned in frustration.

"I guess we'll have to find him the old fashioned way," he muttered. "Split up. We'll search the entire floor." Cassie frowned and spoke up.

"Are you sure-"

"I'm not abandoning my starter," Sam snapped. The pokémon all stopped and turned to our trainers. We were all surprised: it wasn't like Sam to react like that. Cassie looked hurt and surprised.

"I wasn't suggesting… I didn't…" She looked away. Sam turned to us.

"Go," he said tersely. Seth grinned and stuck by his trainer, looking proud as he gazed up at Sam. Sam rubbed him behind his ear and he groaned in ecstasy.

"Oh yeah," he muttered, closing his eyes. "That's the spot." Tempest frowned and looked around.

"I say," he exclaimed. "I do believe that Atrum is missing." The group separated and I took off on my own, wandering down one of the corridors.

"Atrum," I whispered, stopping to peer into every room and looking in every corner. "Are you here?"

"No." Atrum's voice, loud and clear and somewhere nearby. I frowned.

"Atrum?" I asked quietly, still looking around and walking towards the source of my friend's voice.

"I'm telling you: no. This is not my fault. Don't you say that it is!" I stopped for a moment before continuing on.

"I'm not saying it's your fault, Atrum," I replied somewhat tentatively.

"Don't change the subject." I stayed quiet this time and heard Atrum reply anyway after a few seconds of silence. "Really? You think so?" I was getting wary and confused now. It was clear Atrum didn't realise I was here. It seemed like he was having a conversation with someone else but his was the only voice I could hear. It unnerved me greatly. Finally I reached the cell where Atrum's voice was coming from.

"Stop it, M!" I heard him say. I tapped on the door.

"Atrum?" I asked. "It's me: Alice." I heard a crash. "Did you just fall over trying to get to the door?"

"Absolutely not!" He sounded indignant. "That was the sound of me ambling gracefully to the door. It should never be confused with the sound of me tripping over my own feet and headbutting the door by accident." I smiled and turned around. I spotted Rose wandering a nearby with a slightly dazed expression on his face and I motioned to him.

"Rose!" I called, trying my best to stay quiet. He turned to me. "I found Atrum. Go get the others." He nodded and wandered off again.

"Just hold on, Atrum," I said. "We'll get you out soon."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere." I paused, not sure how I should phrase my next question.

"Are you…okay?" I asked. I sensed his confusion through the door. "After your battle you just…well…"

"Oh. Yeah… I don't know if I can battle anymore."

"What? Are you sure?"

"I don't know. I just feel like… I'm still injured from the gym battle in Veilstone… And I don't know if I'll ever get better." I fell silent for a moment, shocked by what I he had said. The others approached with the keys behind me.

"You _will_ get better," I quietly told Atrum. "You will." Sam jammed a key in the door and pulled it open. He rushed in to Atrum and the rest of us quickly followed.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked. The absol flinched away and shot him an irritated glare.

"I was fine until you came along," he retorted. "I was just hatching a daring plan of escape to- oh shut up!" The last part confused me because it seemed to be directed at the air. I was starting to worry about Atrum.

"He's coming!" Camazotz shrieked suddenly.

"Who?"

"The dusknoir!" We all froze. Feelings of immense fear overwhelmed us all.

"The door!" Sam hissed. "Get the door!" Cassie and Seth slammed the door shut and everyone else hid so that they couldn't be seen by anyone looking in from the door. Atrum stayed in the centre. Groans and whispers sounded as a wave of cold swept through me. I hugged the wall next to Cassie and waited for the dusknoir to pass by. I felt the ghost stop right outside and watched wide eyes as the door swung open. I could just barely see the enormous ghost through the crack between the door and the wall. Atrum stared at him from his place in the centre of the room. There was a long silence and I felt the ghost start to move away.

"Wait!" Atrum called out, making everyone freeze.

"What are you doing?" Midnight hissed. Atrum ignored her and called out again, taking a step forwards.

"What are the voices?" he asked. "What is the other place?" The dusknoir moved forward. It was a movement so fluid that I didn't realise it had happened until he was right in front of Atrum. He looked forward with that blank and faceless red stare and spoke with a voice so old and powerful that it shocked me to my core.

_**"How do you hear them?"**_ he intoned. Even hearing its voice was intimidating. I shuddered as though the sound of the dusknoir's voice carried power in itself. Every word spoken seemed to bring a cold wave of fear. I could see the same reaction below. The pokémon cowered and the humans flinched. Atrum flinched back too.

"What…?" he asked. He glanced around at the others before turning his gaze back to the dusknoir. "What _did_ I hear?" The dusknoir tilted his head slightly – the only movement he had made so far that could be an expression.

_**"You looked into the mouth of That Other Place,"**_ the dusknoir replied._** "That place from where none return and to where all eventually must go."**_

"Death?" Atrum asked after a moment of silence. There was a tremble in his voice. "How?"

_**"You carry the aura of death and darkness,"** _the dusknoir told him._** "The remnants of the dead and the last traces of spirits surround you and entrench your essence. You have seen the death of countless beings and have been the cause of many… But… There is something else." **_The ghost glided through the air until he was right in front of Atrum. I could hear the others slink back as some growled and others whimpered. No one had enough courage to face the dusknoir. Except for one.

"Get away from him," Sam said, standing between Atrum and the dusknoir.

"Sam, no!" Cassie yelled as she rushed over to stand beside him. She grabbed his hand and held him tightly as she stared the dusknoir down. Two feral snarls sounded as Midnight and Seth approached from either side, standing by their trainers. I darted over as well, taking my place beside Atrum and giving him an encouraging smile. Tempest walked over to stand between Midnight and Seth as Camazotz took to the air and hovered right above them.

"I would come over and lend my support too," I heard Rose say, "but I seem to be _literally_ paralysed with fear." Midnight and Seth both snarled again in unison. The dusknoir gave no response. He just continued to stare ahead.

_**"Such loyalty you inspire,"**_ he finally said to Atrum._** "How?"**_

"Not being evil helps immensely." The dusknoir paused and seemed to consider this. The statement was obviously a joke but it looked like he had taken it seriously.

"Yes,"he replied."I suppose it does."Without another word, the dusknoir turned and left the room. The door slammed shut behind him. We stood there in surprise for a moment, all of us waiting for the dusknoir to charge back inside with reinforcements. But he never did. We all breathed a sigh of relief as we rushed towards the door. I heard Rose yell out in panic.

"I can't move!" Seth grumbled and swiped him up with a claw as he proceeded to carry him as he walked.

"Oh God, he's going to eat me!" Rose shouted in terror. Seth muttered something under his breath.

"Don't tempt me…" I couldn't stop glancing up and down the empty hallway. My heart was racing and I kept thinking a ghost would turn the corner.

"Come on," I muttered hurriedly. "Faster, hurry up." The group caught up and I led the way with Midnight. Every shadow made me jump – even my own. Midnight kept looking at me encouragingly. I saw Midnight's ears twitch suddenly.

"Someone's coming," she said, then growled at Sam and Cassie to let them know. Seth swore loudly and Rose whimpered. I glanced from side to side but there was nowhere to hide. We were just in a simple stone hallway covered in spider webs and moss. We all looked forward and gulped as we prepared to meet the ghosts. Midnight and Atrum adopted the same fighting stance as Seth snorted fire. But nothing came at us and we all breathed a sigh of relief. We turned around in unison and a horde of ghosts emerged from behind the corner. Both groups froze. The ghosts eyed us and we stared back. There was a long silence.

"I'm not saying 'these aren't the droids you're looking for'!" Atrum yelled out randomly. "What the hell does that even mean?" We turned to Atrum and he gulped as he realised he had spoken aloud. He gave a dirty look to the air and gulped. "Oh, darn." The spell was broken and the lead ghost yelled out.

"Intruders!" he shouted, only to be slapped by another cofagrigus.

"They're not intruders," she chided. "We brought them inside. They're prisoners."

"But they're intruding out of their cell…"

"Look, you're supposed to shout something like "the prisoners are escaping" or whatnot. You don't shout 'intruders'. That's misleading."

"Hey, give me a break! I'm new at this!"

"Uh, guys," a banette commented. "Should we not be following them?" The two bickering ghosts turned their attention to us as we rounded the corner.

"Keep running!" Sam yelled. Seth stopped for a moment and turned around to face the ghosts. He snarled furiously and bathed the hallway in a blast of flames – making sure to keep Rose away from them as he yelled in panic. The ghosts either waited to let the flames subside or ran straight into them and screamed as they felt the pain of the fire.

"Seth!" Sam yelled back. Seth gave one last smirk to the ghosts before turning to run off after the rest of us.

"Faster!" Sam shouted as we fled along the identical stone corridors. "They're right behind us!" Sam stopped abruptly and everyone else barrelled into him. The group crashed to the ground in a flurry of swearing and shouting. Then we all glanced up to find ourselves in a circular foggy room filled with ghosts.

"Behind us, in front of us, all around us," Camazotz muttered from above us.

An enormous, nightmarish jet-black haunter floated in the centre of the room with a froslass on his right-hand side. Dozens of ghosts peered out from the sidelines, looking unhappy and a little scared. A boy that looked to be roughly Sam's age huddled in the corner. The haunter blinked and his tongue rolled out of his bone-filled mouth. He pointed one disembodied hand at a nearby ghastly.

"You! What is your name?"

"Uh…George?"

"That's a terrible name! Who gave you that name? I'm going to call you Steve instead." I frowned and glanced around the others who had disentangled themselves.

"What's going on?" I asked. The other pokémon shrugged and seemed just as confused as I was.

"By the way, everyone," Cassie muttered dejectedly. "This is Revenant the haunter: the leader of the ghosts, ancient and powerful and completely fucking insane." Atrum blinked and Midnight sighed but nobody really seemed surprised.

"Well," Rose muttered. "At least it's not terrorists."

"Who's the human?" Seth asked suspiciously.

"He seems familiar," Atrum commented. I barely saw him; I was too busy staring at the froslass. Revenant was busy bartering with the ghastly so the froslass fixed her gaze on us. The haunter's eyes were filled with childlike enthusiasm. Hers were filled with hate. It was a cold hate that consumed her and everything she came in contact with. And she was staring at me.

"Over ten years I've been looking for a way to restore the third member of my trio," she said. Her voice was clear and sharp – just like her. "I will not have some pathetic dark types ruin my plan." She flexed her bony fingers and swung one arm in an arc before her. There was a sound like a crackle as the air rippled with the movements of her ossified dress. Specks of ice and snow appeared around her as the air grew colder. She spun around and the ice moved in tandem with her – circling the ghost and growing ever larger. I could feel the refreshing cold from where I was but the others shivered madly and gritted their teeth.

We backed up against the wall of the cavernous room but the froslass continued weaving her frozen tapestry in the air. It swirled around her: a roaring tornado of ice. With one last cackling cry she threw the blizzard towards us.

"SETH!" Sam screamed. The charmeleon stepped out before us and snarled. He flexed his arms and met the blizzard straight on before us. He inhaled deeply and when the wall of snow was almost at us he blasted a raging inferno from his mouth. The swirling mass of conflagration struck snowstorm dead on. For a few seconds the two pokémon matched each other's strength but eventually the red hot blaze of fire began to advance. The blizzard dissipated into the air without warning and all that was left was a large pool of water before us.

"Again!" Sam commanded. Seth growled and tried the same thing but coughed and spluttered. Weak splatters of flame fell from his mouth but that was all.

"What happened?" Sam cried, looking at Seth. The charmeleon gave an apologetic glance at his trainer but quickly started to look panicked.

"I'm out of fire," he explained sheepishly. Sam blinked. He must have got the gist of what Seth was trying to say because he looked horrified.

_"What?"_

"Danger, man!" Camazotz yelled. The froslass pulled back to prepare for another blizzard.

"Protect!" Sam shouted. In lieu of a fire move, Seth swung his right arm in a circular movement and conjured up a shield of bluish-green energy. The blizzard crashed against the force field with a thunderous roar. The shield turned completely white under the assault of ice and snow.

"That's not going to work a second time," Sam said.

"We can't fight up close," Cassie said. "The ghosts would overwhelm us." The shield began to fade and the ghosts became visible again on the other side.

"We don't have any long range attacks that would work on ghosts," Midnight reminded us. Seth's eyes lit up and his gaze shifted to Rose who he still held in his hand. The roselia frowned.

"What are you…?" Realisation dawned and his grew wide as saucers.

"Don't even think about it," he warned. Seth looked at the froslass and back at the grass type in his hand. He seemed to be judging the distance between them. "Don't do it!"

"Seth," I muttered cautiously. Seth looked at me and scowled, relaxing and lowering his hand. I let out a sigh of relief and turned just in time to see Seth raise one arm and fire the roselia through the air like a missile. Rose screamed as he soared.

"You fucking- aarrrgggghhhh!" I followed his path through the air with my mouth agape. The froslass frowned as she spotted him approach. She moved to get out of the way but wasn't fast enough. Rose slammed into the froslass and pierced her eye with his thorny head.

"Ah!" she yelled. The beginnings of a blizzard dissipated as she pulled away, clutching her wounded eye. She grabbed Rose and tossed him away.

"SETH!" Sam yelled in outrage and disbelief. Cassie and the others looked shocked.

"Sorry!" he yelled back. "But what else was I supposed to do?"

"How about _not_ throw our team member at the enemy?" Midnight growled.

"I like my way better."

Rose fell to the ground and crouched down as a few ghosts moved in. I could see them leer from across the room.

"Get away!" Rose shouted before twirling around and shooting out clouds of yellow dust that surrounded everything around him. "Stun spore stun spore stun spore!" One curious litwick inhaled some of the stun spore and plummeted to the ground with a hideous grin on his face.

The froslass turned back to us and moved her arm for another blizzard attack: one we wouldn't be able to survive. Suddenly, the haunter grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Don't shoot my friends!" he yelled out, sounding hurt and concerned.

"Revenant!" the froslass hissed. "You're embarrassing us!"

"I am a duck! Hear me roar!" The froslass scowled and pointed at the human boy.

"Go play with your toys!" Revenant bounced up and down in the air as he clapped his hands together.

"Oh goodie!" The haunter sped over to the other boy who cringed and whimpered before the ghost. The froslass glanced around.

"Where's the dusknoir?" she demanded. The other ghosts shrugged in place of an answer so she scowled and turned to glare daggers at me.

"Kill them!" she screeched and led the legion of ghosts forward like a tidal wave. The ghosts swarmed the entire group with their usual cackles and cries. There were yells and shouts from our side too as the humans darted back for safety and the pokémon started to battle. Seth snarled and rushed into the fray as he slashed madly with his claws. Camazotz bombarded the ghosts from the air and Tempest fired water guns. Midnight tore into the enemies with cold ruthlessness.

Atrum went to go forwards and looked like he was trying to summon an attack but couldn't. An expression of pain crossed his face and he collapsed. I watched him crawl back to the shelter of the graves near Sam and Cassie. He had had the same reaction during his battle with the dusknoir.

"Alice!" Cassie's frantic warning jerked me back to reality and I turned to see the froslass as she waded into the chaotic frenzy of battles. She moved quickly and purposefully towards us. Her apparently constant sneer had become even more twisted and angry as she slided over the stone floor.

"No!" I yelled. The shadows shifted with my movements as I darted through the lines of scattered gravestones. I caught glimpses of ghosts and my team between the worn and ancient grave-markers. The froslass waded into my line of vision and I leaped off the nearest gravestone towards her. The ghost shrieked as my claws raked her side and she slashed out at random.

I could smell the stench of ghosts on her but just barely. Like all other pokémon types, ghosts had their own unique aroma: the stench of fear and decay as well as the indefinable smell of Another Place. The ice seemed to muffle the smell slightly and change it to be like if someone had flash-frozen a rotting body then dumped it in another dimension. It was a strange experience for my nostrils.

I landed on another gravestone near the other side of the room as the froslass turned to face me. She leered and I couldn't help but falter. The voices of my friends seemed to steel me somehow so I smirked, raised one claw, and beckoned the ghost forward. She screeched again and flew at me. I had already started to think about my options and as I scanned the room my eyes spotted a small hole in the corner of the ceiling – leading up to the next floor. I knew I had to get up there but I had to time it perfectly.

The froslass raced at me with her deathly cackles following her. I braced myself. At the last possible moment before the froslass struck me, I hit her with a sudden blast of icy wind from the remnants of her earlier blizzard. The ghost howled and shielded her face from the sudden attack. She flew sideways to avoid me and I gripped the edges of her dress – pulling myself into the air and launching myself up to the ceiling.

"Alice!" Camazotz shouted while I soared. "Take this!" He tossed me a small, sharp rock. I snatched it from the air while wondering where he had got it from. Whatever it was, it fit snugly in one hand like it was meant for me to use. I transferred the rock to my mouth as I struck the small opening in the corner of the ceiling. My paws scrambled at the rock and dirt as I pulled myself through up to the next floor. It was the equivalent of an attic; the uppermost story, pointed at the top and covered with rotten wooden rafters that crossed diagonally through the space.

Another deathly howl sounded and the froslass smashed her way through the opening. A shard of rock scraped the top of one ear. The flash of pain was all the encouragement I needed and I darted away. A whisper reached my ear and I realised another ghost was up here. I moved quickly and carefully towards the source of the noise – noticing the smashing and creaking noises had vanished. The froslass was here. I took shelter behind a rocky alcove and spotted the golden glint of a yamask.

"Hey!" I said, as quietly as I could manage. The yamask squealed and went to flee but I bared my teeth and growled.

"Don't move!" I told him. He froze and I beckoned him closer. The ghost gradually inched closer towards me. I sighed and muttered, "Sorry". I snatched the yamask out of the air and held him close to me to muffle his cries. I drew back a deep breath and exhaled on the yamask as I held him in place. My ice cold breath slowed the yamask's movement and froze him in place. A few more times and I had made myself a frozen ghost-spear tipped with gold.

"Come out come out wherever you are…" I heard the froslass mutter. I held the frozen yamask in one hand and the sharp rock in the other as I lay in wait. I made sure to peak one claw from behind the rock so she could see me. She fell silent and I knew she had spotted me. I waited patiently and began to count down.

_Ten…nine…eight_

My heart was racing. The difference was that it was pure adrenaline and not fear and made it pound in my chest. I didn't feel scared or nervous.

_Seven…six…_

The crushing weight of insecurity that so often plagued me was gone. It had vanished along with my terror.

_Five…four…_

I had cast it off and now I was unburdened.

_Three…_

I was strong.

_Two…_

I was confident.

_One…_

I was…glowing?

The froslass appeared before me like a spectre or an omen of death. Ice and bone had been fused together to create an evil creature of pain and malice that lived off the suffering of others. She leered down at me with her pale dead eyes. Her frozen purple skin flaked off of her beneath the skull fixed to her as a face. The blood of the red cloth around her waist dripped on to the decaying bones that acted as a dress. She opened her mouth and shrieked like a banshee. I met her gaze.

"Unimpressed," I said and swung the frozen yamask like a mace to her head. It seemed to move in slow motion through the air. The way the froslass adopted an expression of pure panic was almost comical. Then the golden mask slammed into her face with enough force that the side of her skull shattered into fragments. She roared in agony and put her hands to her face.

The bone shards must have hit me but I felt nothing. I was enveloped by a white light that blotted out all pain and injuries. I got to my feet and casually walked towards the froslass who was still reaming from the blow. I stopped in front of her and waited for the glow to fade. The ghost seemed to notice me and was about to attack when I kicked her in the chest with one leg.

She crashed into the opposite wall and collapsed into a heap. The yamask had thawed out and I heralded him away from the battle to stop him from getting injured further.

I turned to face the froslass once again. I wasn't running. I wasn't hiding. I wasn't the timid sneasel afraid to stand up tall.

I was a weavile.

And I was mad.

"I'd appreciate it if you surrendered," I said, echoing Cedric's words from earlier. I had him to thank for my new form. The froslass' eyes flashed with what might have been recognition. Then she screeched and rushed at me so I put it out of my mind.

I took a step back and almost melted into the shadows of the Tower. The froslass launched herself forward regardless and crashed into a stone wall. She tensed and turned her head around. The darkness moved in tandem with me as I ripped out from the corner and slammed one elbow into the back of the ghost's head in a faint attack.

She turned and slashed at me, grazing my cheek and drawing some blood. She grabbed my wrist with one bony arm and pulled me closer. Her mouth opened again and she breathed out a miniature blizzard that could freeze most pokémon solid. I opened my mouth and sucked it in. I licked my lips afterwards.

"Minty fresh," I taunted before headbutting her in the face. She stumbled back with a cry of pain and I swept one leg to trip her up. More bones cracked as she hit the ground though she hid the pain well. She snarled and twisted her body around to face me. Her bone dress crackled as she swept it across the stone floor. She waved her hands and conjured a shadow ball. I launched myself up to avoid the attack and scampered along the edges of the stone ceiling I spotted a crack and used a quick attack to dart over to it and avoid a few more shadow balls. I jumped from side to side and ducked for cover while the froslass shrieked from the ground. I ripped a stone from the crack in the wall and flung it at the froslass.

I didn't even pause to see it strike the ghost before I jumped back down to the floor – landing nimbly on the tips of my claws. I heard the yell of pain and fury from the ghost. Then I darted forwards towards her. Once again, the shadows seemed to urge me forward; the darkness seemed to speed me on. I jumped and brought my forearms foreword to expose the claws that must have doubled in length. The froslass turned to look at me and her face fell. The shadows morphed around my claws to transform them into a purplish-black glow.

I screamed a feral yowl and rammed my claws into the froslass. The momentum carried us both forward and we crashed through a section of collapsed wall. I yelled out as we plummeted down and moved so that the froslass would absorb the force of the blow when we landed. I felt the impact anyway and almost fell over when the froslass slammed into the cold stone floor. I was standing on top of her. The dust cloud kicked up when we had fallen was just beginning to dissipate and for the first time I realised where I was.

I was back in the central room with the ghost legion. The rest of the pokémon were scattered around the place battling the ghosts. Sam and Cassie darted back and forth issuing orders and avoiding attacks. With my arrival everyone had stopped. The ghosts stared at me as I stood atop the unconscious froslass. The rest of the group stared as well. I heard Camazotz speak up.

"Hey, look at that, man! The Chekhov's Gun from Chapter Thirteen turned out to be a razor claw! I knew it would come in handy." As usual, I had no idea what he was saying. I just concentrated on the looks of pride and awe coming from my friends. Midnight beamed. Sam grinned. Seth gave an appreciative nod. Atrum smiled and waved.

"Good show, old girl!" Tempest yelled from afar. I felt a tugging at my fur and glanced down to see Rose. He looked a little worse for wear and swayed slightly but didn't look too badly hurt.

"Nice," he muttered. I smiled.

"Thanks," I said.

"Alice!" I heard my trainer shout. I glanced up to see Cassie running towards me from across the room. I had never seen her look so happy or so…proud.

A shadow rose up before her and my face fell as the haunter reached out for her with his claws smoke and poison.

"Cassie, look out!" I shouted. I watched my trainer turn to face the haunter – too far enough away to stop it. She panicked and looked around for something to do. The haunter continued to approach her with his teeth and claws outstretched. Cassie grabbed something and threw it. The haunter came to a stop and stared to look at the object as it flew through the air.

"Ooh, pretty," he muttered, wearing a grin from ear to ear as he stared transfixed at the pokéball. It hit him on the forehead and sucked him inside with a flash of red. The metallic sphere struck the ground and glowed for a few seconds more.

Once again the entire room was frozen. Everyone stared at Cassie and the pokéball on the ground. After a few moments, Cassie tentatively walked over and picked up the pokéball.

"Revenant it is," she muttered before shrugging and tossing it into a bag. I ran over to my trainer and hugged her leg.

"Whoa," she muttered, almost falling over. I didn't realise I was so strong. It filled me with another surge of pride and I gazed up into Cassie's eyes. She wasn't even that much taller than me anymore. She smiled back in the way that only she could. Mutters and whispers reached my ears and I twisted my head around towards the ghosts. The ghosts cast glances at each other.

"She caught him."

"The crazy haunter's gone."

"All three of them are."

"What do we do?"

"No one to tell us what to do…" The group edged slowly back together to get away from the legion of ghosts. They had taken a lot of obvious damage. Some were unconscious and many were injured. They limped and gasped and bled. But there were still so many of them. And they were scared. They had lost their leaders – even if they were crazy and disliked. They didn't have a purpose now and they were back to being nervous and fearful and lonely.

"Hey…why don't we just kill them?" one ghost asked. Then I stopped feeling sorry for them.

"Oh bother," Tempest muttered. I glanced around to look at our group. We were in worse condition than the ghosts; injured and bloodied. Our strongest member couldn't even battle. We couldn't survive another extended fight.

The ghosts all turned to face us. They leered and moved forward. The sableye sharpened their claws and the ghastly licked their lips. The frillish and drifloom howled while the banette rubbed their hands in anticipation and the yamask flexed their shadowy tendrils. One of them waved at me and I recognised him as the frozen yamask from earlier. I smiled and waved back. The ghosts moved forwards-

Bang.

The sound made us stop. All of us. The sudden loud noise from somewhere below made my ears pound. My hearing was more acute than I was used to.

"Hijo de puta!" Camazotz cried out, his ears more sensitive than anyone else's.

Bang!

The noise sounded again, closer and louder this time. The ghosts whispered and muttered to each other as the group drew even closer together. I kept holding on to Cassie and Midnight. I pulled Atrum in towards us with my other arm. He tensed up with my touch but I ignored it.

The noise of the second crash faded to be replaced by something else. My ears twitched as I caught a series of rapid beats in succession. I knew I had heard the sound before but I just couldn't remember where. It was very faint at first – muted by distance and the stone walls. Camazotz, Midnight and I heard it first and we exchanged a look of confusion. At least, Midnight and I did. Camazotz just looked bemused. As the sounds grew louder the others began to hear it. Seth growled and Atrum looked around. Then Sam and Cassie began to hear it and finally the ghosts. It was almost deafening at that stage and I almost had to cover my ears. Camazotz was roaring in pain. Tempest suddenly poked his head up.

"I say," he said. "Does anyone else hear that?" Suddenly it hit me what the noise was: a stampede.

A raging inferno erupted from the staircase and engulfed the ghosts nearest the door. Their screams were drowned out by the flames. I could feel the heat from my place in the centre of the room and watched it dismiss the fog. The ghosts flew from the entrance and regrouped at the other side of the room.

The sound of trampling hooves grew closer as a herd of rapidash charged inside in the wake of the blaze. There must have been over a dozen of the fiery white unicorns – each one with a human rider on a fire-proof saddle. The blazing manes of the horses skirted around their riders with the fire seeming the dance as they did so. Rapidash never burned their riders.

Following the rapidash came miltank and tauros, emerging from the foggy staircase and moving somewhat awkwardly in the narrow spaces between gravestones. The rapidash snorted fire while the miltank and tauros pawed at the ground. The lead woman came forward on her rapidash and looked us up and down.

"Howdy ya'll!" she said, pacing her steed up and down. Her cowboy hat lay tilted on her head and she had a reserved yet casually threatening expression on her face. She glanced over at us. "Ya'll okay?" Sam and Cassie nodded. She lowered her head slightly in acknowledgement. Then she turned back to the ghosts. "Looks like we got ourselves a good ol' fashioned standoff here." The ghosts leered and scowled and stepped forward as the Solaceon residents did the same. Our group shirked back.

"Get ready," Sam whispered. Both sides stepped forwards and prepared to fight.

A terrible unearthly groan reverberated through the room. The darkness shifted around us and coiled together in the centre of the room where the dusknoir materialised from the shadows around him. He held out both hands and everyone stopped in place. The ghosts gazed at him with wonder and apprehension. The rapidash neighed and shuffled back with the other pokémon.

**_"No,"_ **he declared. _**"There shall be no more fighting on this night. I apologise for our actions."**_ The dusknoir scooped up the froslass in one hand and vanished into the shadows without a trace. A silence fell upon everyone else in the room. Eventually, the lead woman turned to the ghosts again.

"I don't wanna see ya'll here again," she said. "Th' Lost Tower ain't a home for ya'll anymore. Y'hear?" The ghosts stayed silent and for a moment I thought they were going to ignore the mayor's warnings. Then I looked closer and saw their rueful, pained expressions. I remembered what Cedric had said about them being so lonely. Gradually, they began to shift into the shadows around them and disappear. One ghastly remained and looked around at everyone else.

"Sorry," he muttered before fading away like the other ghosts. I felt a pang of remorse that we had forced them from their home but they had given it up through their actions.

I sighed. With the ghosts gone and the conflict over I suddenly felt exhausted. The adrenalin began to fade away and I yawned. Looking beside me I saw that Tempest was already asleep. I yawned again and set down, leaning against Cassie's leg. The bliss of evolution was slowly fading and a tiredness suffused my body. I wanted only to sleep. I closed my eyes and slumber took hold.

(-#-)

**Sam**

I paused as I knelt down. I adopted a friendly expression and slowly put my hand forward to rest on his shoulder. He glanced up out of his stupor and locked eyes with me.

"Jesse?" I asked softly. "Are you okay?" He blinked. His eyes glazed over for a few seconds and he gripped me tightly by the shoulders. He smelled so bad I had to fight not to move away.

"Are they gone?" he asked me, looking more than a little crazed. I very slowly nodded, moving my hands up and resting them on his shaking arms. I gently moved them off my shoulders and helped him to his feet.

"Maybe you should get some air," I commented. He mumbled in response.

I led Jesse like a child with my hands on his shoulders, occasionally muttering "careful" or "step over the grave now" to guide him. The town inhabitants had began searching the Tower for any other ghosts left behind or any human prisoners. Sadie and a few others were taking care of our pokémon. She was talking to Cassie when Jesse and I walked past. Jesse's frantic breathing began to subside as we descended the stairs. His body, while still tense, was more relaxed than it had been earlier. As we got closer to the exit of the Tower he started talking again.

"I-I don't know," he mumbled in reply to my question: how long had he been there? "I lost track of time. Two weeks, I'm guessing, but it might be more, or less." He shuddered deeply. "They were on me the second I stepped inside – sons of bitches swarmed me before I even got a chance to attack. They kept me fed with stuff they stole from the town or just scavenged from the area. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come along." The graves were almost absent on the ground floor of the Lost Tower. The mysterious fog had vanished too; it had rained away with the ghosts' departure.

I could see the exit; a large stone archway with thick wooden doors that looked old and rotten. They creaked and opened with a light push – letting the brisk morning air rush in. Jesse shivered and I even I felt the shock of the sudden cold.

"Jesus, it's cold," he muttered, drawing his tattered dirty clothes closer towards his body. I nodded.

"Winter is coming." He nodded too. We looked out ahead from the bottom of a valley. The town wasn't visible through the expanse of dark trees. The Tower and surroundings were lit by the clear light of dawn. Jesse's eyes widened and it seemed like he was suddenly possessed by a fit of passion. He grinned madly and grasped my shoulders again, laughing like a maniac. I began to worry what effect his capture might have had on him when he spoke.

"You saved me!" he cried emphatically. "You rescued me! I was trapped for weeks and you fought an army of ghosts to get me out as soon as you heard I was there!" He was missing a few details but I didn't bother to correct him. He laughed again and slapped my back affectionately. "Anything you want – anything at all – I'm there for you. I'm going to do everything I can to repay you." A frustrated expression flashed across his face and he crossed his arms. "I just wish I could think of a way to thank you properly…" The noise of footsteps made us both turn in unison towards the doors behind us. Some cowboy from Solaceon town waltzed outside and came towards us. He retrieved four pokéballs from a satchel and handed them to us with a friendly smile on his face.

"Found these pokéballs," he said with the same country accent that Sadie had used. "Thought they might be yours." Jesse's face lit up as he accepted the pokéballs almost reverently with both hands outstretched. He seemed almost lost for words and instead beamed at the cowboy before he returned to the Tower. Jesse released all four pokémon simultaneously and let out a palpable sigh of relief when he saw they were unharmed. Meanwhile, I had to step back in surprise. I knew a lot of time had passed since I saw him last but I still never expected his pokémon to be so strong.

The elekid from before had evolved into a bigger and more rotund electabuzz. Built like a gorilla but more angular and sleeker looking. Its dark yellow fur was interlaced with black lightning bolts that seemed to shiver whenever the creature moved. Two antennae jutted out from a small, upright plume of fur on its saucer-like head and a long striped tail swished back and forth behind it. Its body burned with sparks of blue electricity that darted through its fur and up towards its mouth. The sparks shot across its mouth from the small pointy teeth that lined it. Miniature streams of blue electricity gave the appearance of a crackling blue cage in its mouth.

The bagon had grown too and now resembled a large white seashell. Its pale grey body could barely be seen within the hexagonal shell of rock-hard immovable scales, framed by ridges of bone that traversed the edges of the shell. The only visible features that suggested it was a living creature was the small stumpy legs and the crossed yellow eyes that stared out in scrutiny.

A monferno hopped up and down, alternating legs as it did so. It was thin and scrawny but still managed to look powerful and aggressive. A thick layer of wild and messy orange hair covered most of the monkey though certain parts like the fingers and feet were a beige colour. Its face was more vibrant; blue, red, orange and brown could all be seen in a striking display of colour. The edge of its long spindly tail was ablaze with a small pillar of flame.

The fourth pokémon must have been new because I hadn't seen it in Oreburgh City. It was a lapras; a bright blue water-ice type with four large flippers and a pale yellow underbelly. Its long neck curved up and it looked down at me with comforting brown eyes. Its eyes curled back in spiral patterns. A spiky, indented shell of bone covered its back. All four of them were strong, powerful and well-trained enough to be incredibly dangerous. Even the lapras – a peaceful species – carried a capability of cold ferocity.

"I'm so happy to see you!" Jesse cried, his voice actually cracking with emotion. He rushed in and embraced his electabuzz, drawing in the other pokémon in a giant group hug. The pokémon seemed happy but a little confused. For them, no time had passed since they were last released from their pokéballs. They wouldn't know what had happened. Jesse wiped away tears of joy as he glanced up at me, still beaming as he did so. I smiled back at him. More footsteps made me turn around. Cassie marched out of the Tower through the archway of the entrance and over to me. Midnight followed her. Cassie held out a single pokéball.

"Ha! Now _I_ have a crazy powerful pokémon!" She paused, staring at the pokéball in her palm. "I have a crazy haunter… This could be a problem." I heard a panicked whine from Jesse.

"Please, please, please, please, please,please," he said, getting to his feet, "never let that thing out." Cassie turned to him like she had forgotten he was here. She glanced at the pokéball in her hand and pointed it at Jesse. He grimaced and gave a whimpering noise as he shielded his face.

"Are you scared of ghosts?" I asked.

"What? No! Of course not. That's crazy – you're crazy." He grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me back and forth. "Stop being crazy!" He let go abruptly and cleared his throat as he took a step back. "Yeah, so…moving on…" Cassie gave him a strange look before moving away. Sadie was waiting patiently inside and called her over. Jesse stared at her as she walked. I didn't like the way he looked at her. He waited until she was out of earshot before he turned to me.

"Who's the sexy goth chick?" he asked.

"Oh, that's just Cassie," I answered. "She's- wait what?" He grinned but didn't look away from Cassie, eying her with an expression that could only be described as hungry.

"You hitting that?" he asked me, still not looking away.

_"What?"_

"I'm just asking."

"No! No, we're just friends." He winced and shot me a look of pity.

"Damn. That's too bad, man." I didn't answer. My mind returned to what had happened in the chamber.

_I can't…_

Feelings of embarrassment and regret rose up. I shouldn't have said anything. The feelings I had weren't mutual. I should have just kept going like I was. I had ruined everything with that kiss.

"It's okay," I said instead. "We're fine being just friends." Jesse looked at me confused.

"You haven't made a move on her? At all?"

"No," I lied. "We…work better as friends." Clearly Cassie thought so. Jesse's eyebrows raised and he tilted his head slightly to fix me with a disbelieving look.

"So let me get this straight," he said. "You're travelling with this super hot girl and you haven't done anything about it because…because you prefer being her friend?" I opened my mouth but paused and closed it again.

"Uh…" Jesse paused and scratched his head, looking slightly unsure as to how he would say this. "You're not uh…" He made some hand gestures which I understood.

"No, I'm not." He paused again, considering something else.

"Is she?"

"No."

"And you're sure you're not interested at all."

"No. I mean, yeah, I'm sure."

"So you don't mind if I…?"

"No… No, go ahead." He grinned and turned around to face Cassie as she walked back over.

"Did you tell Sadie about Revenant?" I asked. She shook her head.

"I thought it would be better if she didn't know," she said. "At least this way we have time to figure out what to do with him." I opened my mouth to answer but closed it abruptly as Jesse sauntered over and eyed Cassie.

"Hey, there," he said with a suave smirk. "It's such a shame we haven't been introduced yet. Allow me to remedy that. The name's Jesse. Jesse Filligan. But you can just call me babe." Cassie stopped and blinked. Her mouth gradually slid open and she turned to look at me. I shrugged and gave her a helpless look. She looked back at Jesse.

"Huh?" she said. Jesse's smile didn't waver.

"Maybe you and I could get to know each other a little better…"

"Huh?" she said again. I was beginning to think she genuinely didn't realise what Jesse was trying to do.

"I'm saying maybe you could tell me a little about yourself and we'll see where things go from there…" Cassie blinked and seemed apprehensive.

"I'm Cassie Gunn. This is Midnight and my sneasel is Alice," she said. "My golbat's called Camazotz." Jesse didn't seem impressed.

"Pfft, what kind of dumb name is that?" he asked. The whole group seemed to wince in unison as we turned to witness the massacre that was no doubt about to occur. Cassie twitched. The vein on her forehead began to throb and she looked like she was trying to figure out what he had just said. I figured she must have edited his sentence in her head because she answered him seriously.

"Camazotz was the ancient Mayan god of bats and-" Jesse snorted dismissively.

"You should have picked a better name," he said, digging his own grave even deeper. "That just sounds terrible."

"It's better than yours," Cassie growled in reply. Jesse laughed briefly and shook his head like the thought of it was impossible. He waved his hand at his own pokémon – picking them out and naming them one by one.

"Zeus!" The electabuzz. "Ember!" The monferno. "Charlie!" The shelgon. "Vapour!" The lapras. He spoke each name with enthusiasm and pride. "Each name is suited perfectly to the pokémon and each name is awesome. Camazotz? What is that? It sounds like a type of cheese – not a pokémon."

"Jesse," I interjected, trying to smooth over the inevitable conflict about to arise. "Maybe you shou-"

"It doesn't matter what I've named my pokémon!" Cassie screeched in reply. "I bet they could still beat any of yours!" Jesse smiled and waved his electabuzz forward.

"Challenge accepted," he said. Cassie growled in reply.

"MIDNIGHT!" she screamed. "Get over here!" The mightyena prowled out in front of her trainer and fixed Zeus with a cold stare. She arched her back and dug her claws into the ground, howling up at the sky. Cassie's expression was just as serious and she glared at Jesse while the rest of the group looked on.

Jesse kept on smiling as he looked at Zeus. He whistled twice in quick succession and his pokémon nodded in response. Midnight howled she fixed the electabuzz with a fearsome glare. He flinched back at its intensity but recovered within moments. The electabuzz focused and waved one arm above his head. Nothing seemed to happen. I was confused but both Cassie and Midnight were too enraged to notice anything suspicious.

"Bite him, Midnight!" Cassie yelled. Her mightyena rushed at the electabuzz as the electric type raised one hand and pointed.

A cascade of blue sparks shot and surged across his body. They twirled around his arm and focused on his finger – blasting out in a dazzling beam of lightning that soared high above Midnight's head. I followed its journey with my gaze as it shot through the sky towards the very top of the Lost Tower. The electricity blasted into the tip of the roof with an explosive bang and a collapse of stone. The rocks from the damaged area tumbled down…to the bluish-green screen of energy that hovered in the air. The rocks tumbled down the protective sheet – arched like a slide – to the ground. Midnight didn't have time to look around before the miniature rockslide smashed into her. The protective shield faded and so did the cloud of dust. Midnight was unconscious and covered with broken rocks while Zeus stood triumphantly before her.

"Nice job," Jesse told his pokémon.

"Buzz," he replied, sounding modest.

Cassie stood dumbstruck at her defeat. So did we. Seth roared with laughter but I ignored him. I heard a nervous squeak and looked down at Alice. She caught my eye and gulped.

"How did…?" Cassie could barely speak properly. I had never seen her subjected to such a crushing defeat. Midnight hadn't landed a single attack and she was the most powerful on her team. "How could you…?" Jesse strolled over to us.

"You don't take the moment into account," he told Cassie. "You make endless plans and strategies but you can't improvise. You're too rigid and don't have any imagination. A good trainer needs to be able creative and that's what I focus on: creativity in battle." He smiled. It worried me. "But don't worry because you'll have plenty of time to learn from me."

"What are you talking about?" I asked. He grinned madly once more and slapped me on the back.

"It's my way of repaying you," he said. "I'm going to travel with you and teach you everything I know about being the best trainer ever. I will impart my wisdom on you. I know, I know; it's a little much, but nothing is too good for the one who saved my life. Who knows, maybe, we can even teach some skills to Gunn here. Sure, it's a long shot to ever try teaching something to a girl but I'm optimistic." I kept shooting him looks and he kept misreading them. "Yeah, you know what I mean. Anyway, I know it's a huge honour to have me as a teacher but I'm going to try not to dazzle you with all my wisdom and knowledge immediately." Oh dear God – he's being serious. Jesse kept grinning as I opened my mouth and tried to think of something to say. Cassie just looked like she was going to cry.

(-#-)

**Alice**

"What is it?" I heard Rose say. I didn't answer him at first; I didn't tear my gaze from the sight before me. I was still getting used to my new body and it was a strange sensation having to relearn how to move and use your senses. The adrenaline of battle had made it instinctual but now that we were relaxed I was actually having a hard time of it.

My sight was much clearer and finer now, my hearing sharper, my fur thicker. The claws on the ends of my paws were much bigger now and the sparse feathers around my ears had grown into a crimson crown on my head. I had spent a log time admiring my new form but something else had grabbed my attention. I pointed in front of me for Rose to see.

"What's he doing?" he asked with a note of concern.

Side by side, we stared at Tempest. He had an inscrutable look on his face that I had never seen before. His forehead was screwed up in deep concentration and he seemed oblivious to everything around him. Well…more oblivious than usual. His eyes were slanted forward and his head was tilted. His lips were pursed but every now and again he would open his mouth to speak before closing it again. There was an unusual seriousness to his glazed expression – like he was trying to remember something important.

"It looks like he's thinking _very_ hard about something," I answered as I turned to the roselia. He looked slightly taken aback.

"Do you think it hurts him?" he asked.

"Don't be mean," I chided him. "Just because Tempest is more…relaxed…than the others is no reason why we shouldn't treat him with just as much respect." He shot me a look of surprise.

"Someone's feeling talkative," he commented. I smiled and shrugged.

"Jesse Filligan!" Tempest suddenly cried, jolting our attention back towards him. The rest of our group (minus the latest ghost addition) were all gathered round by the wall while our trainers were all inside the Tower saying goodbye to the Solaceon residents. The new trainer's pokémon were a comfortable distance away and even they looked up as Tempest shouted.

"You got something to say, slowpoke?" Seth growled while he leaned against the wall and sharpened his claws. Tempest didn't answer but he did stroll over to Atrum with an enormous smile on his face.

"You must be simply overjoyed, dear boy!" he exclaimed exuberantly.

"Um…why?"

"Your trainer has returned."

"Huh?"

"I say, wasn't Jesse Filligan the name of your trainer?" he asked. I froze. Oh no.

A deadly silence descended on the group and I felt myself grow cold. Seth very gradually turned his head around to look at Atrum. Atrum squirmed and backed away.

"Yeah," Seth slowly muttered. "Yeah, that _was_ his name. Funny how he didn't recognise you after raising you for years after hatching you from an egg. Almost as funny as you not knowing a single thing about absol."

"I know stuff about things!" Atrum shouted back looking incredibly panicked while doing so. "I know about…uh…"

"Zeus!" I cried, rushing to Atrum's defence. "He knew about the absol Legend."

"But wasn't Zeus the name the name of young Filligan's electabuzz?" Tempest asked with a confused expression on his face. Atrum squealed again and Seth narrowed his eyes.

"Zeus!" the charmeleon yelled.

"Yeah?" the electabuzz answered from over beside Jesse. Seth growled slowly as he turned his gaze back to Atrum.

"Very. Funny." Atrum burst out into a barrage of squeaky and horribly nervous laughter.

"That is funny. That's just so very funny. Alice! Don't you think that's funny?"

"That's hilarious!" I answered, sounding almost as nervous as Atrum. "That's the funniest thing I've heard ever." Tempest looked at both of us, confused.

"I don't understand," he said. "This doesn't seem at all like a joke and isn't funny. Why, if we all didn't know better we might suspect you of concealing something."

"Damn it, Tempest!" Atrum shouted. "You're killing me here!"

"Let's just all calm down here," I said as calmly as I could. Seth jumped to his feet and snarled. Small jets of flame erupted from his nostrils as he stared Atrum down.

I cast a helpless glance at Midnight and caught her eye. I silently pleaded with her for help but she was silent and impassable. She didn't say a single word and then she walked away. I looked back, feeling betrayed and angry.

"I feel strangely conflicted," Rose muttered. "I can't believe my best friend who I trust completely would lie to us. I also feel somehow justified but I have no idea why."

"Madre de Dios!" I heard Camazotz screech as he fell abruptly to the ground. "It all coming true, man! I should have never drugged Rose! It was bound to come out eventually! I just figured Atrum was the main character and that any revelation was bound to occur at a critical junction! If his dark and mysterious past was revealed too early the Plot would be weakened and I couldn't allow that to happen!

"But then I realised that thereisno primary main character: we all have equal significance as we contribute to subplots, drama and overarching storyline! Through my deception I have damaged the group and led to my own relapse into sweet oblivion. My actions were only a meaningless delay since the group found out anyway!

"I tried to protect the Plot but instead it worked through my own actions to increase drama. I thought I was exercising free will but I can't do that if all my actions are determined by their relevance to the Plot of the story. Dios mio! What am I? I am nothing but an empty vessel, a source of comedy relief. I am a ridiculous character in an otherwise serious story: who designs a Mexican drug addict zubat anyway? I am nothing! Nothing!"

Tears streamed from his relatively new eyes – still clamped shut in the harsh morning light. He was shaking and twitching slightly and the tortured note in his voice implied such agonising pain. I moved to comfort him, and held the golbat close as he stained my fur with his tears.

"What was that about drugging me?" I heard Rose ask. Camazotz sniffled and turned to the roselia.

"No me interrumpas!" he yelled in reply. "I'm having an existential crisis here!"

"Fuck your existentialism!" Seth hissed, turning his back on the rest of us and glaring at the Atrum with an expression of fierce anger. "You have some explaining to do, Atrum." Atrum squealed. Tempest frowned and looked confused.

"Was it something I said?"

(-#-)

The dusknoir had taken the froslass to the highest point of the hill overlooking Solaceon. Thick groves of trees and vegetation covered the surrounding area and normally the whole place would be rife with wild pokémon. As it was, most had been scared away by the ghosts and the invasion of the Lost Tower. The froslass paced back and forth while the dusknoir stared down at the valley below.

"Okay," the froslass said at last. "This wasn't the roaring success I'd hoped it would be. But that doesn't mean we have to give up. It shouldn't be too hard to track down the humans who captured Revenant. We'll kill them, smash the pokéball and-"

_**"I must leave,"**_ the dusknoir intoned, interrupting the froslass for the first time. She couldn't help but be surprised. A frown crossed her features beneath her skull.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

_**"The absol knows."**_

"Knows what?" the froslass snapped impatiently. Her ugly scowl was met by the impassably sombre expression of the dusknoir. He looked ahead with the eerie single-mindedness that he always had. His facial expression never wavered. She wasn't sure it could.

_**"The absol knows things he should not know. He sees things he should not see. He hears things he should not hear. He does things an absol should not be capable of doing."**_

"So?" The dusknoir turned. It was a movement so fluid and unexpected that the froslass actually flinched back. The dusknoir fixed his robotic red gaze on her and narrowed it ever so slightly.

She was a froslass: a spirit born of ice. She had died in the depths of cold so extreme it had frozen her soul and trapped it forever in the mortal realm. She had gone unflinchingly through wars, massacres and abominable acts of sadism – she had committed horrific atrocities. She had tarnished the frozen remnants of her soul with unspeakable actions that ought to warrant her destruction. She felt nothing while doing them. Her evolution had freed her from the bounds of conscience. She had never cried, never mourned, never wavered and never flinched.

Confronted with the unearthly gaze of the dusknoir, she flinched.

_**"The absol hears the voices of the spirit world when we ghosts can not."**_ The dusknoir spoke with more emotion than she had ever heard in his otherwise deadpan speech. _**"Have you not wondered why we hear the voices of the spirit world no longer? Have you not wondered why we have been confronted only by silence for almost six months?"**_ The froslass snorted dismissively.

"So the spirits have stopped yapping at us," she retorted angrily. "Big deal."

**_"We are ghosts,"_** the dusknoir proclaimed. **_"We are of the dead and the dead are of us. We remain in this mortal realm and we have a duty to those who do not."_**

"Since when did you start caring about _duty_?" she snapped. "Don't paint yourself as being so righteous and noble! You left that life when you joined me and Revenant! You left the dusknoir idea behind when you decided to embrace what it truly means to be dead!" The dusknoir paused. For a moment there was a slight twitch of his head to the side that might seem that he was ashamed.

_**"You speak the truth,"**_ he said. _**"I turned my back on the solemn duty of my kind. But no longer can I escape my destiny. This absol is a sign. I must return to what I was meant to do. Perhaps I can earn some fragment of redemption."** _The froslass narrowed her eyes and fixed him with a furious glower that seemed to embody all the hatred she had ever experienced in her entire existence.

'Fifty years we travelled together," she said. "We saw the world – the three of us – and we destroyed as much of it as we could. We tortured and killed just because no one could stop us. You think going after some dark type is going to undo fifty years of destruction?"

_**"No,"**_ the dusknoir said simply. **_"But it is a start."_**

"You're really going to leave this behind?" she screamed as he began to turn away.

_**"There is nothing left to abandon,"**_ the dusknoir uttered, not turning around. _**"Revenant is gone. He is beyond our reach now. Perhaps the humans will help him where we could not. I hope he can be healed but no longer can I concern myself with it. I have neglected my duty for too long and must return to it.**_

_**"Also, as much as you try to deny it, the silence of the spirit voices troubles all ghosts. It is the reason we were capable of controlling so many here. They are frightened and do not know what to do when something they have known for so long has been snatched away.**_

_**"The absol hears the spirits when no ghost can. He must be the cause of this. I must find him and restore balance to the world. It is my duty and I must follow it."**_ He turned around to the froslass.

_**"I do not expect you to understand. In fifty years I have never seen you act selflessly towards any other creature. You could not comprehend my actions any more than you could comprehend me. Know that what I am doing shall benefit all ghosts – including you. Goodbye, Kira."**_ The froslass yelled out in anger and tried to tackle the dusknoir. He vanished in a wisp of shadow and she fell to the ground. A furious sneer twisted her skeletal face. Her dress of bones scraped the ground as she stood up.

"It's ruined!" Kira screeched. "It's all ruined!"

"Perhaps," she heard a voice say. It was deep and male and powerful. And it had managed to sneak up on her – something no pokémon had been able to do for decades. She twisted around her and narrowed her frozen eyelids.

"Who's there?" she asked, facing a thick grove of thorn bushes. The bushes moved apart as a serpentine figure slid out into the moonlight. The froslass didn't relax though she knew who it was. Relaxing would be foolish in the company of a creature so powerful.

"Cedric," she said warily. She was always wary with him. She had the type advantage and was far older but something about him unnerved her.

"Kira," he replied, wearing a smile that didn't suit him. She hadn't seen him wear a smile that did. He glanced around with an inquisitive frown.

"The dusknoir?" he asked.

"He's gone." Cedric raised an eyebrow but didn't ask for an elaboration.

"Probably for the best. You should gather up the ghosts and prepare to leave." Kira's lip curved into a sneer.

"Why would I do that?" she asked. Cedric spun his head around to face her.

"Remember who helped you all through this. I'm the one who sought you out a year ago. I'm the one who told you how to release Revenant from his prison. I directed you to the Lost Tower and helped you bring the ghosts under your control. And all this time I've made sure the situation didn't attract the attention of humans outside the town." Cedric narrowed his eyes and leaned in. "You owe me." Kira sneered at him.

"Debts mean nothing to those who are dead!" she hissed in response.

"How poetic," Cedric stated calmly. "The dusknoir seemed to disagree" Kira teemed with rage. The cold intensified until it seemed like a blizzard leaked from every orifice. Cedric didn't blink.

"How are you able to do this?" the froslass hissed. "How can you resist me?"

"You are old and powerful," Cedric told her. "But who have your targets been for the last few decades? You preyed on the weak, the decrepit and the defenceless. You killed pokémon while they slept, while they were frozen, while they were in pokéballs. You didn't grow any stronger from defeating them. I chose other targets. In the end…" He smiled coldly. "…I made the smarter choice." His smile vanished. "Now it's time to repay the debt you owe me." Kira smirked arrogantly.

"What's to stop me from-" Cedric didn't even allow her to finish her sentence before striking. A flash of green was all Kira saw before Cedric moved lightning fast and coiled his tail around her. She sneered and intensified the blizzard – splitting it in two and moving it so it surrounded her hands. She leered as she latched on to Cedric's tail with her ice cold hands.

Her screams of delight became emphatic but stopped when her icy grip did nothing to the grass type. When she took her hands away she saw his skin had morphed into two patches of steel where she had struck. She sneered and punched him again but the metallic streaks seemed to flow across the serperior's body and meet every attack. Steel countered ice with every move she made.

Cedric smirked and tightened his grip. His serpentine body wrapped around the ghost – binding her arms and snaking around her throat to immobilise her. The froslass began to choke out clouds of half-frozen vapour and squirmed to escape Cedric's grasp. He slowly moved his tail and pulled her in towards his head.

"I highly doubt you are stupid enough to displease me," he whispered. Kira could have called his bluff. She could have. But she was a survivor. So she stopped struggling and lowered her eyes.

"What do you need from me?" she asked. Cedric smirked and slowly released his grip. The froslass fell to the ground and glared up at the serperior. Cedric raised his head high and looked down at her.

"We'll be in touch," he said as a parting sentiment. He didn't even look back as he slithered away through the underbrush and vegetation. He headed uphill until he reached the highest point where he could look down on the area.

He winced slightly as he brushed a layer of ice from his skin. Training and power was all well and good but type advantage always seemed to work against him at times like this. Still, every success was a conquest for him and for all others like him. They said that grass types were the weakest of all. Every day when he woke up, Cedric sought to prove them wrong. Most days, he succeeded.

He stopped and raised his head.

"You were watching, I presume," he said. A female voice replied.

"It's my job to watch," it said neutrally. Cedric smirked.

"And you do it so well." A barely-perceptible hum emerged from the darkness as the figure hovered over and dropped beside the serperior. They stood beside each other as they looked down on the scene below. A small group of pokémon could be seen walking away from the tower – led by three humans. The two figures fixed their eyes on them.

"You weren't seen by anyone," the female one said. Cedric nodded.

"Good," he replied. "It would not do well if my presence here was known."

"What about the sneasel?"

"She promised not to reveal who helped her."

"And you believe that?"

"I may not be very honest but I can recognise the quality in others. She won't say a word." He frowned and looked at his companion. "Was there something else?" There was a short silence but eventually he got a reply.

"You don't usually get so involved. Why is this time different? What did you gain by helping the sneasel ruin the ghosts' plans?" The snake's lip twitched.

"Kira's fickle and ungrateful. The moment Revenant was released she'd have vanished along with her army of ghosts and we'd never see them again. This way, I have her and the ghosts under my control and we can channel her rage into something that benefits the cause." The figure raised an eyebrow.

"The loss of Revenant doesn't bother you at all?" He shrugged dismissively.

"We would have lost the haunter either way. Now at least we know where he is." He paused. His tail lifted up and twirled around slightly. The other pokémon new it meant that he was deep in thought.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's interesting how Revenant managed to take control of the human. I've never seen anything like it before. If we can replicate the effect it might be useful for the cause."

"If." Cedric shot his companion a glare.

"Don't forget your place here," he said. He spoke calmly but there was an unspoken threat that carried itself in his manner of speaking. She nodded in understanding and they both turned back to the valley below.

"That group is special," Cedric noted. "It's powerful."

"You know we can't recruit them. We tried with Atrum. The sneasel didn't seem willing to abandon her human either."

"Perhaps not all of them." He cast his gaze on one figure in particular: a golden one. "But some might be more inclined to listen than others." Cedric looked back at his companion.

"Things are proceeding very well," he said. "For now we'll return to the city." She nodded but gestured at the figures below.

"We'll have to watch them closely." Cedric's lip twitched into what might be considered a smile if not for the coldness of his eyes. "Very closely."

(-#-)

Winter was indeed coming. The cold winds blustered through the air and the nights were already getting longer. Sam could feel the cold – and he had grown up with it. This winter would be harsh and long. His eyes flashed at movement on the hilltop but when he looked closer there was nothing there.

"Are you ready to go?" he heard Cassie ask. He twisted his head around. Cassie was fiddling with the straps of the backpack and Jesse was walking towards them both. Jesse's team followed him and the other pokémon made their way over from the wall. Sam nodded curtly.

"Let's go." He felt a sudden pawing at his side and looked down to see Atrum. He couldn't help but notice the fear in his starter's eyes. He had never seen Atrum look so vulnerable before. It shocked him.

"You…you want to stay up here with us?" The absol whined and nodded in assent. Sam didn't say anything else, didn't ask why. He just nodded and gave whatever pathetic shadow of a smile he could to his worried pokémon as he walked along beside him.

Sam kept thinking about what had happened. His failed kiss with the girl he…cared for. He could still almost taste her lips on his – only intensifying his anguish. The moment played back in his head – painfully slow and clear. He cursed himself for trying something.

He didn't usually open up to people. When Vivien was diagnosed he had closed himself off. Ever since she had died he had been even more withdrawn. He eliminated the thought of being close to someone again. He just didn't want to lose someone he cared about. Not again. But when he met Cassie he thought that had changed. He didn't even feel very angry with her; he just felt disappointed and somehow shameful. He should never have said anything.

He glanced over at Cassie and caught her eye but she looked away almost immediately. She kept her gaze forward as she walked on the other side of Jesse. Cassie's thoughts kept returning to the chamber where she had kissed Sam. Her first kiss. With her only friend. It terrified her for so many different reasons.

She didn't want to lose Sam's friendship to some stupid attempt at love. She couldn't lose him. She couldn't lose someone else she loved – not like her mother. She couldn't even see herself pursuing this anyway. She had never opened up to a person before. All the insecurities she kept hidden from the world all whispered to her.

Whatever relationship they might form would eventually collapse. She was terrible at dealing with people. She couldn't even hold a conversation for very long and there was no way she could ever trust again. Her father's abuse had scarred her that way.

She would have to keep her feelings hidden. For both their sakes. She glanced down at Atrum momentarily and noticed how frightened he seemed. Another glance behind her showed all the other pokémon – even Midnight and Seth who usually walked next to their trainers. They looked suspiciously at Atrum. She wondered what had happened.

Atrum felt scared. The lies he had hidden behind were beginning to fade and his world was crashing down around him. The makeshift-family he had formed was gone now and the other pokémon treated him with suspicion and fear. And all the while his doppelganger continued to laugh and smirk – taunting his mistakes and revelling in his failures. He tried to close his eyes and ignore M but he kept hearing the voices of the whispers in his mind.

All three of them felt a sense of unease that they couldn't identify. They felt like events had just begun to spin out of their control. They had stumbled upon too many things that they were never meant to know. They had made far too many mistakes and wronged too many others so now they would pay the price.

Jesse found himself admiring just how damn hot Cassie's ass was – even in the multiple layers of thick clothing she wore. He smiled, wrapped one arm around Sam and Cassie and pulled them both in towards him. Atrum continued to walk beside them, glancing up at the humans.

"You know what," Jesse muttered cheerfully. "I've got a good feeling about this." The other three tried to smile.

But it didn't work.

(-#-)

A single red, spectral eye watched.

Two serpentine green eyes watched.

Multifaceted azure eyes watched.

One scarred, reddish-brown eye watched.

Two beady white eyes watched.

They all watched Atrum.

And all the while, a pair of purple feline eyes watched them all. These eyes were old and spoke of power and might. Yet they exuded a strange sense of sadness and regret. They were wide and filled with horror.

"No," Mewtwo whispered to the air. He had come too late and hadn't been able to enter the tower when it was full of ghosts. This was everything he had feared. This was worse than anything he had thought might happen. Revenant was free. After all this time, he had escaped. And now he was with Atrum and the others.

He just prayed the insanity that plagued Revenant remained in place. All it would take was a few lucid moments to cause untold damage to everything he had spent so long protecting. A few lucid moments from that haunter could bring down the Legends and engulf the human regions in war.

That was why Mewtwo had done so much to ensure it didn't happen. That was why he had imprisoned Revenant.

And that was why now he would have to kill him.


End file.
